Sad News :[

So...it's been awhile.  There's a reason.  Derek's worked late a lot this week and I've been too exhausted to stay up after the children go to bed.

This exhaustion was puzzling to me.  Where did it come from?  It came on very suddenly.  It was difficult to get through the day without taking a nap.  And I hate taking naps.. I only take naps when I'm... oh.  And, by the way, why is my tummy still so round?  Shouldn't it be getting smaller by now?!  Especially since I've been exercising and eating less?  ...Or at least, trying to eat less, but I'm so hungry all the time...

These questions kept nagging at me so finally, last Sunday night, I had Derek buy a pregnancy test.  I was too tired to go get one.  I just wanted to know for sure..  I took the test and thought I'd lay it down to do its thing and go take a shower.  No.  Before I even set the thing down a big fat + appeared.  Whaaaaat!!  We both just kept looking at eachother going, "uuuuum..." with big, disbelieving smirks on our faces.  We couldn't help but laugh.  We just had a baby 5 months ago!! Ey Ey EY!!!!  Derek immediately goes into man-mode and starts talking about all the work we need to do to get the house ready for another baby and how the car will be paid off this summer and thankfully we've got room for one more.  I was just in utter shock.

That was Sunday.  Tuesday came with some suspicious happenings.  I've had a miscarriage before, so I kind of knew what to look for.   What I was experiencing was excessive and beyond the norm.  (I'm trying to choose my words carefully here, people!)

Wednesday saw the symptoms getting worse and worse.  It was our niece, Cammie's, birthday party that night.  At the party I started to get cramps.  I knew this wasn't good.  The whole car ride home was very uncomfortable.  The cramps were getting worse and worse.  I told Derek he'd have to bring the kids in by himself because I had to get in the house.

As soon as I walked in the door, something terrible happened.  I'll spare you the gruesome details.  I had a miscarriage.  A really bad one.  I had to stand in the shower for like an hour.  Derek was running between me, the children, and the Baby Place phone nurse.  I wondered if it would ever stop!  The cramps were awful.  I finally got to take some tylenol and curl up in a ball.  As soon as I was able to fall asleep, the cramping stopped.  The miscarriage was finally over by this morning.  It was very sad.  We even saw the baby.  It was so teeny tiny, but amazing.

Today we were trying to coordinate schedules so I could go to my doctor to get a rhogam shot.  I have an Rh- bloodtype, so I have to get this shot in case my baby's bloodtype is different than my own.  It's especially important that I get it within 72 hours of a miscarriage, or it could affect any future babies.  My body will attack them like they are a foreign body.  My mother found a good friend to fill in at her store so she could come up and watch the children for me (THANK YOU, DEB!!!!)  I'm glad she was able to do that because the appointment ended up taking a looooot longer than I thought it would.  Don't they always?

I had to get my blood drawn first to confirm the pregnancy and check hcg levels.  Then I got my rhogam shot and saw the doctor.  He said the levels were still very high at 5000, so he wanted me to have an ultrasound, just to be sure.  I was thinking, "What if I was carrying multiples and there's still one in there?!? Or two!!?!"  But no.  The ultrasound was sooo uncomfortable.  Then the doctor wanted to do an exam.  Grrrrr!  His conclusion was, "I think we'll have to call this a miscarriage."  I don't quite think they were getting it.  I already knew I miscarried.  They weren't understanding the amount of tissue and etc. that was passed.  There was no way anything was left in there.  I was glad, though, to have had the ultrasound.  Sometimes a piece of tissue can remain and cause infection and all kinds of problems.  Praise God it didn't come to that.

This pregnancy was not planned, but it was not unwanted either.  We're not trying to see how many babies we can pop out.  We're very sad to have lost another baby.  But God is in control and He knows what is best for us.  This obviously was not the right time.  Up and down, Up and down.  That's the way life goes sometimes.  Praise God, He's there for the ups AND the downs.  He is what gives our family strength.  We've been through a lot these past months.  He's been right there with us.  He will never leave us, nor forsake us.

Flannel Board Story **WINNERS**

First of all, thank you to everyone who participated!!  We really appreciate it. 

Congratulations to Heather Butler and Jennifer Joseph!!   

They were selected by www.random.org as winners of a handmade flannel board story of their choice!  

The two stories I recreated for them were 

David and Goliath from the Bible and The Napping House by Audrey Wood.

I really enjoyed making these for you, ladies!  I hope you enjoy them as well!  :]

If you are interested, I am selling these handmade stories.  I had to up the price, however, due to the amount of time these take to create.  I worked ALL day on just these two stories.  Please contact me with your favorite Bible or Children's Story and I will do my very best to recreate it for you!  The cost is $5 per story (add $2 shipping per story, if necessary).  You can contact me by leaving a comment or emailing thesegerstroms@hotmail.com Or, if you'd like to learn how to make your own, just read the blog post titled "Flannel Board Stories."  Thanks again, everyone! :]

A Big Blessing!

We’ve got some fun family news to share…but first, just a little update on the children and mommie and daddy: 

Hannah has been teething like crazy and chewing on everything.  She’s right on time as our other children both started this at 4-5 months.  All she wants to do is eat.  We started her on baby cereal just a few days ago.  She really enjoys it and smiles after each bite.  I remember tasting that stuff when feeding one of the children one time, just to see what it was like.  I definitely didn’t smile after that bite!!!  But I guess she’s only ever had milk, so she doesn’t know any better.  I’m very excited to start using my new Baby Bullet! 

First Baby Cereal Experience

She just couldn't resist chewing on this
container of frozen cool whip.

Audrey’s favorite things lately are balls and cows.  She loves to play with a ball, and anything round is a ball to her.  She loves to see them in books, in stores, even looking at the window and seeing our dogs ball gets her very excited.  And she’s always got her eyes on our cows.  She is talking more and more and her words are becoming very clear.  She loves to help with any chore you give her.  She can get a little excessive at times, though.  If I ask her to bring me a blanket for Hannah, she’ll bring me 10.  Tonight I painted her toenails.  She loved getting pampered.  After I was done she couldn’t stop looking at her feet. 

Roen is still Roen; busy as always.  Still building with legos and playing with tractors.  This week he is working to memorize the verse Hebrews 3:4 “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.”  He’s pretty much got it down.

Roen made this "four wheeler" all by himself.

Momma had a weird day today.  I was feeling very overwhelmed.  I think it was mostly due to the fact that last night the girls took turns waking up and fussing all throughout the night, so I got very little sleep.  Also, yesterday marked 5 months since my brother’s death.  I don’t sit around waiting for that time each month and plan for it to be a downer, but it just happens.  Not sure why it just hit me today because I thought about it all day yesterday.  Hopefully tonight I’ll get some much needed rest.

Daddy had great news as he got to come home half a day early yesterday!  He had a meeting early with his bosses and they offered him a promotion!!  He is now Farm Supervisor! :-D  I’m so proud of him!!  He works very hard, and I’m glad it didn’t go unnoticed.  He has a lot more responsibility on his hands now, but he loves a challenge and he loves to please people.  I know he’ll do great.  Today Derek had another day off, because he was on overtime.  It wasn’t really a day off, though.  He had lots of other “jobs” that he had to do.  Also, he’s not feeling well, and didn’t get much rest today to recover.  I’m so glad about his great news!!  I had been praying for a long time that God would send some kind of encouragement to him.  I think this was it!  Praise God for answered prayers! :]

We've all just been working together preparing for this "big storm" we're supposed to get.  We've been waiting all day for it to start.  I'm actually kind of excited for a good snow!  And I don't even like winter!

Fav. Finds - Weekend Edition

I'm a bit late on this, but have to share nonetheless.

We were all so looking forward to a nice, quiet weekend at home.  We had anything but that!!!  It was actually quite adventuresome!!  I can’t remember a time we were this busy. 

Derek had the entire weekend off.  He didn't obligate himself to have to be anywhere.  Last Saturday started off with me having to meet a lady for something she was purchasing from me off buy/sell/trade.  Then Derek decided he and all the kids would ride along and we’d go to the bank to deposit some money for the apartments that he manages as a part-time (ha, more like 2^nd full-time) job. 

Before we left, his grandma Muriel called and needed a ride to the pharmacy to get a prescription refilled.  We picked her up and decided to take her to the town of Garner with us.  After finishing at the bank, we took her to the Goodnature Store so she could pick out some “slacks” as she calls them.  She’s very excited because tomorrow, my brother-in-law, Austin, is taking her to Arizona so she can visit her little brother and his wife!  Correct me if I’m wrong somebody, but I think he is her last living sibling.  She’s so excited!  We also had her pick out a brand new outfit to wear on her trip.  She chose a turquoise corduroy pants and vest suit.  It was cute to see how giddy she was to wear it.  After that we took her to Pizza Ranch for lunch. Yuuum!  We love Pizza Ranch. 

We headed back to town and dropped Grandma off.  Then the kids went down for a nap and I left for my shopping trip.  I didn't go crazy, like I said I wouldn't.  I did get some more picture frames for my Monograms. 

I saw something really cool at one of my fav thrift stores!  They’re having a “Recycling and Repurposing” contest!!  All you have to do is submit a “before and after” photo of something that you repurposed.  Part of the project had to be purchased from them.  The winner gets a $50 gift card to that store!!  I have until April to enter.  EEEEEEEEEE!! What a cool idea!

Now I’ll present some of my

                                      

****** FAV FINDS!!! ****** 

            I purchased these shirts for Roen off Buy/Sell/Trade.  I got them ALL for just $5!!!  Awesome deal!  Roen needed some shirts for this summer as he is outgrowing his short sleeves from last year.  

He likes the purple one the best. 

I found these book ends for $1.  And they’re already black, and already have some paint rubbed off around the edges so they look “worn.”  Hooray!! I’m keeping these for at the house.

I found more Golden Books for the children.  Some of them I’m not keeping for us because we already have them.  Those will be sold on Ebay.  This one in particular made me LOL when I opened the cover.  It used to belong to our Pastor’s son!  Small world!  I’m going to get his address and mail it to him.  Hopefully he’ll get as big a kick out of it as I did!

I was glad to get out of the house alone again, but I don’t enjoy shopping in Mason on a Saturday.  Everything is too busy.  And stuff is all picked over at the thrift stores.  But that’s just as well.  Like I said before, I have too many projects in the waiting.  I got home late that night. 

Sunday was a wild and unplanned day, for sure!  But we had fun!  We were going to go to my hometown to visit my family, so we decided to go to church there, too.  On our way we called Dad and Loretta and it turns out they were on their way to Des Moines to see friends!!  Oops!  And Mom has been sick for like a week, so we didn’t want to catch that.  Oops again!  We still visited the church and heard a great message by a newly saved young man.  Afterward they had a lunch for new people and visitors.  It was great because as I looked around the auditorium I saw a ton of my former high school teachers!  I was happy to see so many people I knew.  I got to talk with one of my teachers at the lunch and we told a group of people our Eight Days of Hope VIII story, and encouraged them to check out the website.  I hope they do!  There’s a trip coming up at the beginning of March.  

After church we stopped over to Mom and Larry’s to drop off the monogram that was given as a prize off this blog.  Mom called us back and said, “Larry just got a tablet.  He wants to know if you guys want it?”  haha what a phone call!  So we went back and got it.  It’s pretty nice.  Just not what he wanted, I guess.  Thanks, Lars!!  :]

Roen always likes to play house and pretend that Audrey is his wife.  He tells her, “Audrey, you are a good wife.”  On the ride home he said to me, “Mommie, one of the boys at that church told me I’m not married!” He was pretty upset about it.  He must have introduced her as his wife instead of his little sister.  hahaa

This next photo is my 

**** Ultimate Fav Find **** 

and all the credit goes to my husband!!  

About a week ago he was looking on Craigslist.com and saw a listing for a corner Jacuzzi/whirlpool bathtub for super, super cheap!!  He emailed and asked if it was still available.  The seller emailed back and said it had just sold that morning.  He was kind of bummed to miss out on such a great deal.  Well, as we were leaving my hometown after the church service and lunch, we got an email on Derek’s phone that said, “The last sale fell through, I was wondering if you were still interested in the tub!”  AAAAAH!  Derek was very excited.  He called the man and said, “So where are you from?  Forest City, Mason City, Clear Lake?” and the man said, “Actually.. I’m from the Twin Cities…”  Derek had mistakenly looked on the Minneapolis craigslist.  But you know what.. we wanted to visit the cities again anyway!  We were actually just talking about it the day before!  So we decided we’d take a road trip and go get this great deal of a tub!  Take a gander at it!!!!!

I can’t wait to use it.  We’re planning an awesome remodel of our basement and this will go in our master bathroom.  Derek wins for best find of the week! 

We had fun visiting Minneapolis.  The ride didn’t take long at all.  The children had their new books to look at, so that kept them very busy.  Derek has a cousin who lives up there, so we got the chance to see him and his wife, too.  He met us at a cool little café and I had some great pizza.  Once again, we got home really late. 

So that was our crazy weekend!  One trip after another.  Even though it was super busy and go, go, go we still enjoyed our time.  Might as well.  We’re not promised another minute on this earth.  :]  

Here is a super sweet photo of our two little sissies holding hands during the car ride.  After this, all three were holding hands!  :-D

Flannel Board Stories ****PRIZE*****

It’s that time again!!!  “Something I Made Monday!!!”

This is a special Monday because it is a PRIZE day!!!  Keep reading ;]

This is something that I learned to do when I did in-home daycare years ago.  I was working to get DHS certified and in order to do that I had to take a 10-week (I think it was 10 weeks?) training and education course through Childcare Resource and Referral.  Anyway… it’s a special training for in-home care providers and we learned how to do some pretty neat stuff!!

I introduce to you… the Flannel Board Story!!!!

These are unbelievably simple to make, and fairly cheap, depending on which method (see below) you choose to create them.  Children just adore them; teachers love to work with them.  It’s a great visual aid.  If you are looking for a more exciting way to tell stories, these will capture your child’s attention and hold it. 

So far, for our family collection, I’ve made “The 7 Days of Creation”, “Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden”, “Noah’s Ark”, “Jesus’ Birth” (The Christmas Story), & “Jesus’ Death & Resurrection.” 

When I did in-home day care, I had the stories, “Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do You See?”, “Old MacDonald”, “5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed”, “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly”,  & “Four Little Black Birds” (a story I made up myself).

What You’ll Need:

·        Milk Filters:  you’re probably thinking, “huh!?!”  This is the most important piece.  These can be picked up at farm supply stores, like Fleet Farm.  At the time I bought these (like…6-7 years ago?) I paid $9.99 for a box of 100 15” milk filter disks.  I’m not anywhere near close to using up the box yet.  It’s the most costly part of the project, but like I said, they’ve last me for years.  The product should look similar to this…

·       Crayons:  The cheap kind work the best.  I like “Cra-Z-Art” from Wal-Mart.

·       Black Sharpie Marker

·       Sheets of White Paper

·       Scissors

·       A Box with a Lid or a Metal Cookie Sheet:  I’ve used both, and personally, I like the box method better because it contains storage for your flannel stories.  Although, the cookie sheet idea is pretty cool, too.  This will be used as your “stage” to tell your story.  I wanted a larger box because I want to be able to fit all the characters I need to on the “stage.”  I got my box at Pizza Hut for 25 cents.  It’s the new “Big Box” version.  I also got a smaller “P’Zone” box from them for my “travel version.”  This way we can take the stories with us, but not have such a hefty box to haul around. 

·       A Piece of Flannel or Felt:  This needs to be large enough to cover the lid of your box or your cookie sheet.  Stick with a solid color.

·       Storage solution to keep stories separated:  You could use something as simple as plastic baggies in a variety of sizes, or a three-ring binder (you can get one for free from your bank!!) with clear plastic sheet protectors.  If using a box (built-in storage) for your stage, you could get by with the baggies.  If using the cookie sheet, you’ll probably want to use the binder.  Just be sure your characters are kept flat; never fold them.

·       Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks:  Necessary for attaching the flannel or felt to your stage.  I use a “cool melt” glue gun.  It doesn’t get as hot as a regular gun, so it won’t melt your fabric or make it too stiff.  This can be purchased at Hobby Lobby for under $5.

·       A Little Bit of Creativity & Some Artistic Talent:  You can create the characters for your stories anyway you choose.  You can draw them yourself or find pictures you’re looking for online or on a computer program.  I prefer to draw them myself because the other method never has exactly what I’m looking for.  Don’t worry if you aren’t the best artist in the world.  These are for your children, who think you’re the greatest even if you can only draw stick figures!! 

How To:  (Characters)

·       First of all, choose a story you’d like to tell your child.  I prefer to recreate Bible stories so we can use them during Children’s Church and Circle Time.  Read the story carefully and write down all the characters you’d like to make for that story.  (Example:  Adam & Eve:  don’t forget the fruit, the snake, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, etc.  Those are all considered “characters.”) 

·       Start with the Sheets of White Paper & a Black Sharpie Marker.  Draw your characters onto the white paper with the marker.  Remember to make the details, etc. fairly big because once you re-trace them, everything will get smaller.  Do the best you can to follow the descriptions of characters in the story you are choosing to tell.  If using the computer or online picture method, remember to re-size the pictures, if necessary, and print them off.

·       Re-trace the pictures onto a Milk Filter with the Marker by sliding your white sheet of paper under the filter.  Be sure to be a good steward of your filters and use your space wisely!  Fit as many characters onto one filter as you can, but be sure to leave enough room so you can cut them out later.

·       Color the traced characters with the Crayons.  Remember details.  If a character in a story is supposed to have blonde hair, don’t give them brown hair.

·       Cut your characters out with the Scissors.  Don’t cut directly on the lines.  I like to leave some white edging.  This makes each piece a little more sturdy.

·       Store your finished characters in the Plastic Baggies or Three-ring binder.  Be sure to label the baggies with a marker or the sheet protector pages with a hand-made tab or piece or tape so you know which story is which. 

How To:  (“Stage”)

·       Box Method:  Cut your felt or flannel large enough to cover the lid of your box.  Cover the top with glue from your Glue Gun and lay the felt or flannel on top.  This part you’ll have to do quickly because the glue drives very, very fast.  You may want to start by covering just a small portion with glue and laying down your fabric little by little.  This way you have better control over getting it laid just right.  Keep your stories tucked safely inside the box.

·       Cookie Sheet Method:  Turn the Cookie Sheet onto its backside.  Cut your felt or flannel large enough to cover the whole raised area.  Using your Glue Gun, glue just small portions at a time and lay your fabric down little by little.  Remember, the glue will dry quickly so you have to be fast, but accurate.  You won’t get any do-overs.  The fun part of the cookie sheet method is that one side can be used for flannel stories, while the other side can be used to stick magnets on.  Double cool!!  Keep your characters tucked safely in your three-ring-binder. 

See!!  I told you it was easy!!  These are also very fun to make.  Let yourself get as creative as you can!  I hope all of you will try this project and make a whole bunch of stories to share with your children.  These could be great entertainment for children while riding in the car, waiting at doctor’s appointments or at restaurants, or any other situation where little ones might start to get antsy.  These are also a big help for Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, AWANA or other kids’ programs, in the classroom or home school, or just for fun to share with your children or grandchildren.  But don’t forget to just sit down with a real book and read to your child and point out things in the pictures.  That’s a very important part of childhood, too.

Now…the moment you’ve all been waiting for!! 

The Opportunity to win a PRIZE!!!!

I will be giving away a handmade flannel story of your choice to TWO, yes, TWO happy people!!!  All you have to do is leave a comment in the comment section below sharing your favorite Bible Story or Children’s Story and I will re-create it for you in flannel story form!  I’ll also include a sheet of felt for your stage.  Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you if you’re the winner, such as an email address.  The winners will be randomly selected on FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22.  You have until then to enter the drawing!!  Share the link to this page on your facebook and with your friends! :]

Don’t be too disappointed if you don’t win.  I will happily recreate a story for you in this form for $5/per story (Add $2 for shipping per story, if necessary).  Just send an email to TheSegerstroms@hotmail.com with “flannel story” in the subject line.  Be sure to include the name of the Bible Story or the title and author of the children’s story you’d like me to recreate.  Include your mailing information if shipping is necessary.  Payment must be received in advance.  Thank you for your support!! :D

Happy Creating, and Happy Winning!! :]

Post Valentine's Day

Man, on a day like today it feels and looks like spring is right around the corner!!  But we all know how wishy-washy winter can be.  One day it’ll be so nice and sunny, the next day we could have a blizzard!  I hope spring IS coming soon, though.  I have so much I can’t wait to get outside and do!  Namely, ride my new bike, go for walks, and spray paint!!!!!!   I have sooo many project just-a waiting for a fresh coat of paint!  I’ve got the refurbish fever! 

Did you have a great Valentine’s Day!?!?!  I did!!  We didn’t do what we originally had planned, but we still enjoyed time together as a family.  Daddy came home with all of these goodies, just for ME!!! 

He knows the way to my heart… through my stomach.  Usually that’s what they say about men.. but anyone who knows me knows I like me some food!!  He got me my all-time fav pop, Dr. Pepper (has to be in a can!!), my favorite raspberry salad from the deli, FRESH CUT pineapple!!!!!  I’ve been waiting for this since I had Hannah!!!!  He also got me more beautiful flowers, aloe-infused socks, body scrub that smells delish, and my all-time fav pens.  Not pictured was a frosted sugar cookie from Casey’s.  The reason it’s not pictured is because I ate it.  Oops!!  Also not pictured, was the grade finale!!  He got me a big Rubbermaid!!!!  You’re probably thinking, “??????,”   Here’s the deal… we don’t have a bathtub..and baths are kinda my thing.  When I want to relax, I take a niiiice, looong bath.  It’s hard to take a bath when you don’t have a tub.  So he got me a big tote and we put it in the shower and filled it with water and I soaked and soaked and… aaaaaah.  Don’t laugh at me.  Desperate times call for desperate measures!!

All together as a family we went to Pizza Hut.  It was nice to just go someplace in town for supper.  And we got stuffed crust, which Roen loved. 

When we got home we had this waiting for us!!!  Thank you, Aunt Carol!!  I love the frosting job on the cupcakes!! 

Roen was sooo excited to have his very own can of pop in his Valentine sack!!  I let him drink it today at lunch.  He savored it, for real.

What’s that?  What did I do for Derek?  Nothing.  I’m so lame!!!!  I can’t even believe that, I’m so embarrassed!  But I really wasn’t expecting him to get me all that he did!  I wasn’t expecting him to get me anything!  He’s super sweet, though.  I’m, like I said, lame.  Usually I like make a heart-shaped cake or something.  Don’t ask me what happened this year. 

Since yesterday was my normal shopping day, but it was Valentine’s Day, I’m going to go tomorrow night.  So, tune in to see my Fav-Finds!!!  I’m not going to go crazy like I did on the last shopping trip, though.  I’ve got waaaay too many projects on the list right now.  Unless I find some super good deal or one-of-a-kind something..I probably won’t get much for buy/sell/trade.  But who knows! 

Daddy and two of his Valentines :]

p.s.  he shaved off his mustache, so now he looks like an Amish man.

Ooops...

Ok, so I forgot to post something for "Something I Made Monday."  Sorry.  The truth is, I WAS typing up my post Sunday night.  I had all the photos taken and uploaded, etc. etc.  But while I was typing I just wasn't.. what's the word?  "Feeling it."  So I said, forget it, I'll do it tomorrow.  Well, as you can see, Monday has come and gone, and still no post.  I apologize!  To make it up to you, next week I'll have a different "Something I Made" other than the one I was working on on Sunday, AND there will be a PRIZE given away!!!! OoOOoOOooooOooooOo!!!  Tell your friends.  I probably shouldn't even say that because I might forget again.. but accountability is a good thing.  It'll help me remember to do what I say I'm going to do.  I just hope people have pity on me and remember that I have 3 children, one being an infant.  And I have a husband.  And I have to have a life with some activity in it in order to post these blogs.  So please, forgive me and remember.  Thank you! :]

Anyway... On Monday we implemented a new Daily Routine that has been a real blessing to us thus far.  I was tired of my children's rambunctiousness, whining, boredom, etc. etc.  And I was tired of the "everyone do whatever you feel like doing whenever you feel like doing it!!!!!!!!!" rut that we were stuck in. 

Children thrive on structure.  I know this.  I knew this before I became a parent.  Why did I suddenly forget?  So I sat down and thought about our daily lives and our own personal family values and I came up with a schedule that works very well for us.  Here it is, in all its glory:

* Daily Routine *

6am - mommie wakes/get dressed/Bible study/start chores

7am - children wake/get dressed/go potty

730am - *breakfast*/wash up/brush teeth/feed Hannah

8am - *children's church* - Bible story, songs, Bible verse

830am - free play/chore time/go potty

10am - *read together*

1030am - free play/chore time/go potty

1130am - prep lunch

12pm - *lunch*/wash up/go potty

1230pm - *nap*/ mommie craft time

330pm - wake up/go potty/lite snack

4pm - *circle time*

430pm - prep supper/free play/set table

530pm - *supper*/wash up/clear table/go potty

6pm - *family play/table time*

7pm - bath time/brush teeth/go potty/free play

8pm - *devotions*/go potty

830pm - *bedtime*/ grown-up devotions

9pm - prep for next day/pack lunch/lay out clothes/internet time

10pm - get ready for bed

1030pm - *grown-up bedtime*

Thaar she blooooows!!!  That's it.  Pretty simple, yet it has made a profound impact on our family in just two days.  The children are way happier (mommie and daddy are, too) and there is less bickering/whining/picking on eachother.  Plus, it's fun that Derek knows what we're up to even when he's away at work.  The children know what to expect during the day.  And we've scheduled in specific times that we're spending time together.  That way, even if the day is busy, busy, busy, the children KNOW there will be a specific time when, yes, we WILL sit down and read that book together. 

You might notice a few things 1.) yes, there ARE wake-up times for the children where I, yes, wake them up.  I know, I know!! It's crazy!  I never thought in a million years I would actually wake my children, but I do and it makes the day go so much better.  Nap time was becoming a battle because either one would sleep however late they wanted to.  When nap rolled around no one was tired.  Same with bedtime.. they napped as long as they wanted, so no one was tired at bedtime.  This has helped a lot.  2.) Derek and I have a scheduled internet time.  This will make things interesting as far as my buy-sell-trade stuff, and this blog, but it's necessary.  No need to sit on the phone until all hours of the night when we could be spending time together or sleeping!!!!  3.)  We grown-ups even have a bedtime.  Now.. I'll admit I deviated from the schedule tonight since Derek is working late.  It's midnight and I'm posting a blog.  But hey, it needed to be done, and it's no fun to go to bed alone!!  But yes, mom and dad  need a bedtime too.  We have to be able to function without being grouches.  It's not the children's fault if I'm too tired the next day because I stayed up too late watching Michael Jackson music videos on youtube.  Ooops... 

I make sure to wear a watch so I always know what time it is, and I had Derek make like 6 copies of the routine so I could post them up all around the house.  This way I always know what we're supposed to be doing.  I, myself, have really enjoyed it.  We're getting some very important thing accomplished.  The last few days our kids have played better together than they have their entire lives.  It's been really neat to see.  I suggest, if you're not pleased with your day-to-day happenings or your childrens' attitudes, that you look at your family, your values, and yourself and see what would work best for you, and make your own routine and STICK WITH IT.  It can't hurt.. it can only make things better. 

Something fun to report!! Valentine's is a-drawing near!!!  Today we received a very special package in the mail from Grandma Loretta and Papa Rex!!  It was a box full of goodies for the children for Valentine's day!  YAAAAAY!  As an after thought, I wish I had waited til daddy was home with his phone so I could video the children opening it and post it here on the blog so Dad and Loretta could watch, but I wasn't thinking, I was just as excited as they were!! Bummer.  Dad and Loretta, just know that they loved it! :-D  There was one especially special gift in the box.  It was for Hannah, but really, it could have been for all of us.  It was a cute picture of an owl sitting in a tree with a picture of my brother, Taylor.  And it had a poem with it that read:

I see the moon and the moon sees me.

The moon sees the somebody I'd like to see.

God bless the moon and God bless me.
God bless the somebody I'd like to see.

Yes, I would really like to see my brother.  It's hard to look at his smiling face because all I think is, "Is he ReALLY gone??  Did he REALLY do this?"  It hurts because the answer is yes.  It's hard to see his smiling face, but man, how I love to see it.  It's the way I'll always remember him.  Wow... this sucks.

Anyway...  today Daddy got home from work early.  He took us to eat at the new Mexican restaurant in town.  I got a burger and fries.  Mmmmmm!  The children snarfed their food, which made their daddy very proud.  One thing I love about Mexican food places is that they treat you like royalty.  They're so polite and courteous.  One thing that bugs me big time about eating out at other restaurants is when you hear the serving come up to a table and say, "Hey, do you guys need anything else??"  I just want to yell, "THEY'RE NOT 'GUYS'!!!! THEY'RE 80 YEAR OLD WOMEN!!!!!"   That's just my little rant for the evening.  You won't see that at a Mexican restaurant.  The server kept calling Derek, "Amigo!"  "More diet coke? Ok, Amigo!"  Love.  After supper, we walked down the block to the ice cream shop.  It was a decent night out as far as temperature goes, so it was nice to walk.  Now Daddy is helping load pigs.  Busy night!!

I hope everyone has something fun planned for Valentine's Day!  Do something special for your spouse!!!  Don't sit around waiting to see what they'll do for you.  Surprise them.  Derek and I wanted to get away for the evening, but we decided it might be fun to include the children.  So we've got some fun ideas we're bouncing around.  Good night all.



Sunday Update - Week of Photos

Just another friendly family update! 

This week has been great as far as buy/sell/trade sales!  I’m so thankful that God is blessing that little business endeavor of ours.  It has made for some late nights though, staying up after the children go to bed trying to get photos taken and sale items posted…  It’s important to not get carried away.  Take a look at the thermometer and see how it’s moving up, up, up!!  Doggies, here we come! :]

Yesterday we decided we needed to get the children out of the house.  It’s been awhile for them.  I suggested going to a restaurant that had a play place so they could climb around and wear off some energy.  We took Derek’s grandma, Muriel, with us.  We really enjoy spending time with her.  She already ate supper, but we were heading to McDonald’s, so she got dessert. 

First, we had to stop at one of my all-time-fav stores, Hobby Lobby.  They were having a paper sale, so I stocked up for my custom monograms.  I’m soo excited to get started on those.  Anyway, I spent probably way too much money on paper, but I know I’ll make it all back eventually.

We got to McDonald’s a little later than we would have liked to.  We had to eat quick so the kids could play before the Play Place closed.  Roen was pretty nervous to climb up all by himself, so Audrey and I showed him how.  He’s a little self-conscious and kind of nervous about trying new things.  We’re really trying to work on building him up a little more.  We got to the top and it was all tunnels and Audrey wasn’t having it.  She screamed and cried.  I got her to the twirly slide and we went down.  She tried to act tough when we got to the bottom.  Roen went down with me next.  After he explored a little he was much more confident and happily played by himself.  Audrey went back up with her daddy, but she clung to his chest like a baby koala!!  I would have taken pictures, but the battery on Derek’s phone was too low.  Bummer.  Roen didn’t want to leave, but unfortunately we got booted out.  Not really.  It was just 9pm and time to go.  It was a nice little family adventure. 

I’ve started working on some pre-made monograms to sell.  My cousin, Leatha, invited me to participate in a great fundraiser idea for her son, Cole.  He was born early at 29 weeks and has been fighting like a little champ!  They finally got to bring him home.  The fundraiser is a vendor fair put on by a friend of hers.  It’s sometime in March in Fort Dodge.  All her friend asks is that vendors give a portion, like 10%, of their profit to help Cole with medical needs/equipment.  I thought that was a great idea, and I would be honored to help.  So I’m trying to get some pieces, hopefully LOTS of pieces, done for the fair.  You could help by visiting and purchasing.  I’ll fill you in on the real details when I get them.

Soon, soon, soon I’ll be taking orders for custom monograms.  I’m just trying to set up an easy-to-understand order process.  I’ll fill you in on that too, when it’s ready. 

We had no church again this morning due to the ice and rain we just got.  It’s so far been a nice day to spend together.  Earlier this week I wrote a very special, personal song for Taylor.  It’s to the tune of Taylor Swift’s song Ronan about a little boy who died of cancer.  I sang it for Derek today for the first time.  It was pretty emotional.  I want to share it at another time, a very special time, but I can’t discuss that just yet. 

I hope everyone had a great week!  Enjoy these fun photos of our family…Oh, by the way, don’t forget to check back tomorrow, it’s Something I Made Monday!!

Audrey likes to play with only the lego tires
and this "guy!" as she calls him.

Brother and Sister playing together

This is Roen playing "thrifting". 
He's got two chairs, a toilet, and two babies crammed in the back of an suv. 

Hopefully I never become so desparate to make space for my finds
that I make my children ride on the tailgate...

Daddy & Hannah snuggling.  She's another Daddy's Girl.
Nice 'stache, Daddy ;]

It's Been Awhile..

Wow.. it’s been a while since I’ve posted.  It’s not that I’ve been terribly busy, but Derek has worked late every night this week.  It’s been wild.  We really miss him when his schedule gets messed up, especially me. 

Nothing too exciting this week… here is a little bit to bring you up to speed…

Monday I was so exhausted all day!!  I think I stayed up way too late the night before, then Hannah was up in the night.  The last four nights she’s been waking up at about 3-4 am.  She went from sleeping all through the night to waking again…??  Why!!!!  

When Carol was here to babysit for us while we went on a date, she told me about this Live Healthy Iowa thing that she’s doing at work, and explained this little exercise routine to me.  You walk for 60 seconds, then jog for 90 seconds, and keep alternating for a period of time.  I thought that was something I could definitely handle, especially after being so out of shape from having another baby!  I can even go round and round inside our house because all the main rooms are connected. 

So we set the timer for 15 minutes and set a stopwatch.  The children think it’s great fun!  They chase me around or sit on the furniture and wait for me to go by and say, “peek-a-boo!”  I go through the kitchen, dining room, living room, and front entry way, walking for 60 seconds and then jogging for 90, walking for 60, jogging for 90, etc., etc. for 15 minutes.

It feels really good after I’m all done, but it wears me out!  After the first time I was even more exhausted than when I began (naturally…).  But I figured… that’s ok.  I’ll take a nap when the kids do.  Turns out they had other plans.  It was one of those conspiracy, “hey, mom’s tired, let’s not take a nap today!!” days.  :[  Needless to say, we couldn’t wait for daddy to get home.  As soon as he walked in the door, I told him I was going to take a shower and go to bed.  And I did.  I was asleep by 8:30.

Tuesday we tried it again.  Seems like that time was a lot harder for me than the first.  Not sure why.  It didn’t seem to take as long that time, though.  I got through it and it felt really good afterward again.  I think this will really work for us because sometimes I just can’t get out.  Like right now, the weather is too icky.  And it’ll be nice this summer to do it indoors when the weather is too hot.  (I’m also looking forward to riding my new bike I got for Christmas!!!)

A couple nights ago I had a really good phone conversation with my brother-in-law, Austin.  He’s moving to Denver, Colorado shortly.  We’re going to miss him, but I’m sure he’ll visit often!  And maybe that will give us an excuse to go to Denver!!  OOoOoOoOoO…  We talked a lot about Taylor.  It was good.  Thanks, Aust. 

On a totally different note, does anybody else love how their children play?  One of my favorite things is to happen upon Roen’s little toy set ups and just try to imagine what his little 3-year-old brain was thinking when he put it all together.  I love how he sets things up and the care that he puts into it.  And the things he finds interesting or special..  he cracks me up.  Here is an example, his little lego creations.  (I built the house)  but he has another house with a little dog inside that he made and the rims from all the lego tires that he asked me to remove…  haha I love it.  I could play legos all day, by the way.