Good afternoon   I survived my bi-monthly grocery shopping and spent almost a $100 less this time thanks to NO dh along.   

We got another 4 inches of snow last night so the kids have been enjoying that.  And supposedly we're supposed to get a foot this weekend.  Which as we all know how well weather forcasters do means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

I'm continuing on day 5 of NO contractions   So I'm hoping that means all my caution paid off and I'm slowly taking back my life.  LIstening to my body better though so as to NOT have them start up again. 

Kaylin has moved back upstairs as she & us sleep better up there.  And Zeria REALLY missed her.  Jamari is gonna stay downstairs as its easier on all of us...and he's been sleeping BETTER down here.     Kaylin is back to nursing.  And go figure she has increased her nurses to 3 a day.  I guess taking the 30 second one away made her realize she didn't want to be done.  LOL  Also I know I have milk again which I think is helping her want it more.  She only gets it if she asks, which averages 2 or 3 times a day.  And I'm perfectly okay with that.  But now that it looks like I'm gonna be tandeming I'm gonna start talking about her having to share mommys breasts.  She has done SO incredibly well with Jamari that I hope she will accept peanut well too.   

Oh yes, Her and Jamari.  Jamari has been playing around at walking since we got him.  But last week he officially declared it the way to travel.  This week he's discovered what kind of mischief he could get into.  I found him & Kaylin in the bathroom playing in the toilet with toothpaste.

                        

Gotta love kids.  (why I'm not sure )  All I could do was laugh and clean up the mess.  Oh yes, and move the toothpaste to the TOP shelf along with the toothbrushes.  Kaylin is very fascinated by both.  I went upstairs to soothe her about 10:30 last night to find her playing with her toothbrush.  LOL  Still trying to figure out when she smuggled it up there.

Jamari and I have done amazingly well since Wednesday morning.  He hasn't screamed at me once.  I'm still in shock.  And I'm even starting to relax and enjoy him.  To even take pleasure in him.  Its a wonderful relief.  And I have to admit I'm still on the skeptical side as to wether it will continue, but keep praying it will  

He has even started playing silly baby games with me.  And Wednesday night when their was some silly music playing him and I started dancing together on the couch   His little tooshy was shaking and it was Oh too cute.

We signed up for garbage pick up last August.  And kept waiting for a bill.  Rob finally called today to see why we hadn't got one.  The disposal man has been picking up each week.  They had NO record of us.  If we had been the dishonest sort we could have gotten garbage for free.  As it was well *gasp*  we now owe the garbage people $175.   

Fortunately we had a bit of money tucked aside.  But I did tell Rob if overtime came available he probably should take a shift.  Theory is is that foster care money should be coming in for Jamari starting Feb 1 (because he's a legal risk placement and technically not free to be adopted yet)  In which case Rob will skip the overtime. 

We've had several unexpect bills pop up like that lately.  So things are a bit tighter then normal.  Oh well, we'll live. 

On that note I found some pretty decent shelves at Goodwill today.  for $28.  And we are SO incredibly desperate for storage in our house right now!!!  So Rob is gonna go pick them up.  (if they haven't sold)  Our Goodwill will NOT hold anything, and I had the Geo which would NOT hold shelves LOL.   There's no way we could get these new...and storage is becoming pretty bad around here.  And gonna get worse when number 5 comes.

I think however we will NOT be doing any building projects in the next month or two.  So will have to live with my lovely sheet "wallpaper" instead of sheetrock in the bedroom for a bit longer.  I'm kinda getting used to it.  SNICKER

Anybody know how to get color crayon off walls?  The easy way?  My kids have had ALL their color crayons removed from them indefinitely.  As the wall on my stairs is now supporting a lovely mural.  I even caught kaylin helping with this beautiful picture.  Maybe I'll have to take pictures.  SNICKER

Well on that note probably should go catch a snooze before the kids wake up and want to go back out in the snow.  Besides I have over half of the stinkin grocerys to put away still.  *sigh*

Father God, thank you for this day.  And for the good deals I got.  I ask that you would continue to keep the contractions away.  And that you would show us your love to each other.  I thank you for the joy Jamari's given me this week, and for him letting down his guard.  In your sons name, Amen

Okay this is a better picture of my dress & BEFORE Rob knocked my veil off. 

 

                                     

Good morning.  I actually got a full nights sleep again last night.  And woke up uncranky.  Had a friend last night that wanted to know what my wedding dressed looked like.  Told her I didn't have a scanner she told me take a picture of the picture silly.  So I did....for what its worth.

I started the day out wearing a veil.......but my husband got a little crazy during the kiss and it came off.  I never took the time to get the thing reattached.  Its unfortunate because it was most favorite part of my dress.  Oh well.  I wore a 3/4's length dress as we had a outdoor wedding in my parents orchard.  My wedding was not very traditional.  HEHE  My siblings and niece ranging in age 3-12 skipped down the aisle at the beginning to Joyful Joyful we adore thee, (a jazzed up version)  And sang another song about 3/4's of the way through.  Music was a BIG part of my wedding.  And a extra was the low flying air-force jet that flew through the middle of my bio brother & sisters song.  HEHE  So much for hearing the song!   Zeria was my flower girl (almost 2 at the time)  And Samuel was the ring bearer.  He wasn't walking yet (almost a year old)  So the ring bearer was carried in by my little brother.  Its not every wedding that has pictures of bibs & bottles on the table you sign your wedding certificate    The rings were pinned with a safety pin to Samuel's suspenders.  HEHEHE    At the end of the wedding we walked out arm & arm with a baby on either arm too.  We wanted them very much to be part of our lives.  Though they were NOT welcome on the honeymoon  

In the mundane of every day its hard to remember the reasons you married.  And remember how special your spouse truely is.   Last night I was CRAVING chocolate.  And Rob not knowing this came home from work at 11:00 last night with a King Size Snickers bar for me.  I was ecstatic.    He does so many little things for me.  Every night he rubs my aching lower back & helps me relax enough to sleep.   Every morning he is the one who climbs the stairs to get the kids up.  He is the one who makes the kids breakfast while letting me have a few minutes extra sleep.  He splits the firewood and brings it in every morning.  He has completely taken over doing all the dishes this whole pregnancy.  He loves my kids.  And rarely gets grumpy.  Sure sometimes his tact is a little lacking.  And I wish he'd pick up things instead of walking over them.  But that's so small in all that he does do for me.  I think I'm in LOVE

Father God, thank you for the man you put in my life, and all he does for this family.  I pray that you would continue to encourage him and give Him strength.  I ask that you would teach him the power of forgiveness as he struggles with forgiving big time.  And I ask that his ankle would continue to heal.  For the kids & I today I pray for another good day.  I thank you so much for the miracle of Jamari being happy and letting me change him without screaming.  I ask that this miracle would continue.  And I thank you so much for your love for all of us.  In your sons name,  Amen

Another note to self.

Mommy can I play with paints?  (Zeria asks)  Sure...as long as you don't make a mess....

Could you exxxxxplain this to me?

Note to self..............

When you yell at your hubby, you'll soon find your kids yelling at each other.   Moral to story.  BITE YOUR TONGUE!

Good morning   I'm late blogging.  I had one already.  Still have it.  But xanga shut down on me and that was probably a good thing.  It was a very very very whiney blog.  Soooooo we'll try again WITHOUT the whines.  We still have snow on the ground.  Though not as pretty as the day this was taken.  We've had a few snowflakes falling down off & on today, but nothing major. 

I think however that I'd rather be here.....

Okay enough said on that subject

I woke up grumpy this morning.  And stayed that way for a good long while.  I'm desperately hoping its gone now.  My kids are "napping"  though I hear Zeria thumping around, and I'm enjoying a bit of quiet. 

Rob's ankle is still quite sore.  And he's using one crutch as support.  Speaking of crutches.  My husband in his 31 years of life has NEVER had to use crutches.  And as he's well uncoordinated its been an intresting thing to watch Poor guy, not very nice of wife to laugh at him as he puts all the weight on the crutches with his GOOD foot not his bad.  Or well its been a intresting sight

I'm desperately hoping my mom's coming to kidnap my kids again today like she did last WEdnesday.  But as I haven't heard a hint of it she probably isn't.  It would be SOOO nice!

Jamari actually cuddled with me this morning.  Sucking on a water bottle for a good half hour.  I was shocked.  And I confess a little bit skeptical that it was gonna last.  But very grateful for the reprieve.  He has been so hard for me to deal with.  That was a lot of my grumps this morning.  So I'm choosing to be thankful about the small blessing I received.  And not focus on all the times I've looked/touched him and he's screamed and crawled away for daddy. 

I mopped the floor today.  SHHHHHHH don't tell my midwife.  But my housecleaner called to say she can't be here this week.  And it was AWFUL!  So bit the bullet and did it.  Just the kitchen.  Whole house looks better.  Rob vaccumed the floors.  And I think the house will live

Father God, I'm moody, and I do NOT need to take it out on anybody.  I ask for you strength to be self-controlled and loving to my kids.  I ask for my kids to be a LOT less cranky then they have been.  In your sons name, Amen

Good morning.  We have snow outside again. 

And its COLD. 

Well......

The disasters

just

keep

continuing.

And

I'm

getting

tired

of

it!!!

Rob came home from playing with the kids at McD's I signed off the computer and was getting ready to meet the kids.  When I hear Rob hollering in pain.

Yep

in

pain.

*sigh*

I ran as fast as a pregnant woman can run to investigate.  He was laying on the ground Kaylin beside him screaming.  (She's fine)  Rob fell off our bridge & sprained his ankle (we think)  At the time he was convinced he'd broken it.    He was walking on it last night with almost no limp.  So I DOUBT its broken.  Today its very sore and HE has ORDERS from the mean old wifey to sit still do NOT move.  He doesn't take those kind of orders too well. 

He normally does breaky for the kids, but I did it instead.  He was telling me how to do it.  ROFL.     I think I know dear   Fortunately I haven't had contractions in about 15 hours, so I'm not worried about doing a little extra. 

Unfortunately their is a MOUNTAIN of laundry to do.  Sooooo between the 4 of us.  Mom, dad, Zeria & Sam we're gonna do it.  I'm gonna teach the kiddos how to load the washing machine & unload the dryer.  So I don't have to bend.  And then we'll flip a coin to see who folds it.  BWAHAHAHA  Its gonna be intresting. 

On a humerous note Rob & I had a spat yesterday.  He was extremely untactful and made one of the "You always comments"  You know the kind that get wifes crying.  Well I did.    We had the typical discussion and everything was pretty much forgiven.  Anyhoo....last night we ate Chinese.  Annnnnnnnd what did his fortune cookie say.  "You are extremely tactful, and always know what to say to appease people."   BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

He wouldn't show it to me at first, cause he KNEW how I'd react.  Finally he told me when we were getting his crutches.  I laughed hysterically at him.    Oh yeah, you know my hubby so well Mr. Chinese man.

Father God, I ask for strength for all of us today.  For the babies to understand why daddy's not carrying them.  For the big kids not to fight.  And for Rob's ankle to heal quickly.  I ask for me that you would NOT allow me to overdue today.  In your sons name, Amen

Good morning   We all had a good sleep last night.  The first night in days babies or a fire or something else didn't wake us up. SCAREY  I'm sure it won't happen again for a LONG time

Had a relaxing afternoon after church with the kids.  Rob let me take a nice nap, and then snuggled with the kids on the couch.  Kaylin has finally learned how to sit & read books.  Up until now she had NO intrest in the sitting part.   She is SO her daddy's daughter.  Of course a book out is an open invitation for the bigger two to come join me.  And bring their books, and so on & so forth.  

As Kaylin started the game last night we read her book over 4 or 5 times.  Not sure why I bothered reading it.  Been reading it over & over since Zeria was a baby.  It was her first Christmas with us Christmas present and she loved it too.  Lets see goes something like this......

Barney says is a game to play follow me now for fun today.

Pat your head,  Tap your nose, Now bend down and touch your toes.  Raise your arms all around.

March your feet up & down...And here's a hug from me to you

Jamari of course is so NOT intrested in book reading he was down playing at our feet.  Not thinking he was missing a thing. 

Daddy went to take a picture of him, but the big kids of course couldn't leave a photo-op and horned in thats okay...their still pretty cute

Today we have NO plans.  Zero NOTHING.  Its kinda nice.  Gotta love our "Saturday"  even if it is Monday  

We got a skiff of snow and its quite pretty.  Though will not last long I'm sure.  Tonight Rob & I will go for our date night    And hopefully at some point in the next week I will tackle our checkbook.  Robs started hinting it might be time. BWAHAHAHAHA!   We're carrying quite a high balance and I know it, so its hard to get motivated.  But probably should make my hubby happy.  Besides it  is something I'm actually allowed to do

Father God, whatever we do today I ask for you to be honored.  I ask that our kids would be pleasant, and we would NOT ignore them.  I thank you for your love for us, and for the full nights sleep.  It was MARVELOUS.  In your sons name, Amen

                               

Hi, my sister is due to have her baby tomorrow.  Her husbands 4 days off as a EMT started today.  Could all those praying people put out baby born vibes.  He hasn't worked his job long enough for the company to give him paid sick leave....and they can NOT afford for him to take time off.  He will of course take the time off for her to have the baby...but my sis would NOT be allowed recovery time and she has a very active almost 2 year old in the house.  Thanks for the prayers!

We had our second fire in less then a month last night.  A chimney fire.  Rob was mandatoried last night and came home late.  We were tired loaded the fire and went to bed.  He had to get up at 2:30 am to go back to work.  At 12:30 I woke up smelling smoke.  I thought it was Rob restocking the fire, but decided to go investigate anyhow.  Put my glasses on and headed out.  The second I got in their I was greatful I had.  The bottom of the chimney was full of ash & had caught on fire.  The fire had burned through the fire grate & the mortarboard.  5 more minutes & it would have hit the wood on the outside of the chimney. 

I hollered to Rob who came out and immediately grabbed the fire extinguisher to put the fire out.  We couldn't tell how high up the fire was going, so I went & got the kids.  Zeria heard me and was crying.  I told her to come downstairs NOW!  She did smart girl.  Samuel heard me as I was headed up and also started crying I told him to go downstairs NOW!  He did (smart boy)  I grabbed Kaylin and her blankey and went back downstairs.  Rob by this time had discovered the fire hadn't gone up as high as originally thought.  So I sat the kids on the couch handing Kaylin to Zeria to hold.  I then joined Rob in putting the fire out.  In 5 minutes it was 90% out.  And I was sent to the couch to comfort 3 very scared kids.  Jamari was asleep in the entryway and pretty much oblivious to everything.    This is what it looked like right then.  When I took the picture their were still red coals  Which do NOT show up.  Their WAS wood on the top of the hole it was burnt.  You can see the hole burned through the mortar board. 

              

Twice in one month God has kept my house and family safe.  I'm still shaking this morning, and in awe that God is IN control. 

I'm thankful for the safety of my children, and that my house with all its idiosyncresies is still standing. 

Called my parents this morning, and they had a piece of fireboard to put over the hole.  The grate that was their broke in half due to age/heat last night.  Rob called in and told them he wasn't going to work.  As he had to haul ash out of the chimney for over an hour.  And stayed up to make sure we hadn't missed any fire anywhere.   So he gets to go to church this morning.  I had a severe contraction during all of this.  If I'd had another one the midwife would have gotten a call passing a test or not.  It was the kind of pain you feel just before transition.  Running up stairs was NOT on my list of allowed things to do.  But it had to be done.  Fortunately I only had mild ones after that one, and none this morning. 

CLEAN YOUR CHIMNEYS OUT!  KNOW WHERE YOUR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ARE!  And hug your kids LOTS.  You never know how long your gonna have them. 

Father God, thank you for the house that is still standing.  Thank you for the kids that are healthy.  And for the husband that was home when this went down.  I ask for wisdom today in how to repair the hole right.  And for the continued safety of my family.  I pray that as I go to church today I would find somebody to take over my nursery cleaning duties for the next couple months.  And that you would allow both of us to enjoy the service.  In your sons name, Amen