Thursday, January 30, 2014

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Forts...

This is what our living room has looked like for a few days now.  Actually, yesterday's fort was built on the landing of the stairs but it stayed there all day.  And for those of you who know me, this is definitely a sign of progress.  For those who don't, suffice it to say that I am not the best at putting up with chaos and/or mess around the house.  So to actually let the kids leave their projects out for any extended period of time is quite an accomplishment for me.  And you know what?  It's not actually that bad.  Maybe I will eventually buy into the whole "it can be cleaned up at the end of the day" thing.  Or maybe I'll just be forced into it when baby #3 arrives!

P.S. You might get sick of seeing pictures of Silas playing every day for the next 4 weeks. But I'm trying to entertain myself here, so you'll just have to deal. I mean, a girl's gotta do something to get her mind off of hoping for baby to arrive early!

Monday, January 27, 2014

C.R.A.Z.Y.


Ok, time for a brutally honest post. People, I am about to go crazy...in more ways than one. First of all, I am getting SO incredibly stir crazy. The weather around here has been the exact same every stinking day for a solid 3 weeks. And that weather is anything but cheery. Dark, cloudy, 40 degrees. Every. single. day. Nothing different. Now don't get me wrong: I love clouds and cozy days. But without any snow or even frost to make it feel like winter, it is just blah. And honestly, with my about-to-give-birth hormones these days, a little sunshine would go a long way.

 Which brings me to my main point and the real reason I am going C.R.A.Z.Y.: HORMONES!!! I don't know if any of you ladies out there who have been pregnant before went absolutely bonkers at the end of your pregnancy, but I sure am. And this is something I didn't have to deal with my first two pregnancies. My poor family. During the first trimester of carrying this sweet babe, I felt really good physically but hormonally I was a wreck. Mad. Irritable. Oh-so-tired. Short tempered. It was so bad that I was about to ask my doctor what to do about it but then I hit the 12 week mark and it all went away. And since 12 weeks, I have felt pretty darn good...until about 2 weeks ago. Oof. Something changed hormonally in me and it is not very pleasant. I have read that it is quite normal at the end of pregnancy for your hormones to change drastically since your body is preparing to give birth, but oh man is it discouraging. Yesterday as I was sitting in church, I felt like somebody was literally sending shots of various hormones through my body every few seconds. All of the sudden I would feel like I wanted to bust up laughing, and then a few seconds later I would feel like sobbing, and then a few minutes later my muscles would be burning as though I had just finished an hour long workout with Jillian. And the worst part about it all is that I have had zero patience with my poor kiddos and husband. What on earth am I going to do for another 4 weeks??? I know it's about perspective and I am trying my best to be thankful to even be pregnant and get to experience this miracle in life once again, but honestly it's just really hard. You know, I will probably regret writing this because tomorrow I will likely wake up and feel great and think "what on earth was I complaining about?" But for now, I need a little cheer. The problem is, I have no good ideas of how on earth I am going to keep us all entertained until this sweet baby is born. And that is why you get to see yet a few more pictures of my children playing. Today, Silas discovered an old mobile that I had over Owen's crib when he was a baby and wanted to play with the stuffed animals that were on it. So we cut the thing apart and the boys have been playing with them ever since. I love these boys, I truly do. And I just pray that I will be patient with them and show them joy during the long 4 weeks we have left.

 

And this is why blogging is good for me: because I can look at these pictures and see the joy that God has in every day, even when we struggle.  I can see my children playing together and capture their sweet faces in a photograph and realize that this truly is a time in life to cherish.  And if I didn't take the time to blog (or take pictures), I think I would miss out on a lot of joy by focusing solely on the struggles.  For that, I am thankful.  

Thursday, January 23, 2014

These days...

The boys have been really into playing firefighters lately. They created a fire station by cutting a hole in some cardboard and setting up a fort like creation between the coffee table and the couch. It truly is the simple things that keep them most entertained! I would also like to note that Silas wore the whole firefighter get up to Bible Study Fellowship this morning. And just so you know, the backpack is actually an oxygen tank!

 

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Snow Day...

Since we have had a grand total of about 1/4 inch of snow here at the bluff this year, we decided to make a day trip to the hills today to let the kids play in the snow. We (and by "we" I mean all members of the family NOT pregnant) did a bit of sledding and the boys tried snowboarding for the first time ever. Although we didn't stay too long, it was a fun adventure for our little family of four before we add the schedule of a newborn to our lives in a few short weeks. As you will see in the photos, Silas took to snowboarding pretty well for a four year old. Daddy will have to get these boys up on the hill more often!

P.S. Because these photos make the trip look so perfect and ideal, it would seem a bit dishonest if I didn't at least mention the fact that we cut the trip short because of some not so great attitudes. We even bribed the boys on the trip home with a stop to get frozen yogurt if they could manage to go the whole ride without fighting and/or complaining. But I'm going to choose to remember the smiles and fun of the day! And while I'm at my true confessions, I will admit that this pregnant mama ate a maple bar, a glazed donut, an apple fritter, and a stack of onion rings from Red Robin for dinner last night. There. Now you have a glimpse at the real life that happens around here that isn't so picturesque! :)

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Monday, January 13, 2014

Lincoln City...

Normally when we go on this trip I take quite a few pictures of the boys. Not this year. That was pretty much because it was incredibly stormy and rainy the whole time. In fact, I think we set foot on the sand for a grand total of about 10 minutes the whole trip. But hey, we still had fun swimming, relaxing, shopping, being with family, and watching the Hawks win!! (even if we did have to watch the first half on a pixelated screen with no sound because of the storm!) And even though the pictures are few, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as we always do. And now it's back to normal life for about 6 more weeks until we add another precious life to our family. I told Alli today that my goal is to take as many naps as possible during the next 6 weeks. We'll see how successful I am at that...