I'm Bringin' Sexy Back....

It's official. I'm well on my way to breaking records as far as weight gain is concerned. I've just reached the maximum weight I was the day I delivered my last child. Not really an issue unless you consider the fact that I have 11 weeks left of this pregnancy. Yep. 11 weeks. It kind of frightens me a little. Not the "now". But the "after". It's hard to lose pregnancy pounds. I've always done it, and of course I'll do it this time. It's just going to be that much harder. I have curbed my nightly binging, and am even trying to exercise once in awhile. I believe I'm officially past that point though. It's only going to be gain, gain, gain from here on out. I need to live with it. Shawn makes it pretty easy. Like when I'm reclined and reading a book and he just stands there looking at me. I say "what?". He says "your sexy!". He still grabs my ever-growing booty every time we pass in the hall. I've heard other women say they don't think their husbands are attracted to them when they are pregnant. I truly don't know if he cares how large I am. If he does, he could win academy awards for his acting ability. I know I'm big. I know I'm truly not sports illustrated cover worthy. But Shawn makes me feel like I am. I hope my young boys are paying attention to how their father treats me. If they are listening and watching then one day their wives will be able to reap the rewards they are entitled to.

Visitation....

My parents came to town the first week of June. Man, there is nothing like grandparents to brighten your day. We spent most of the week just hangin' around the house. Grandpa likes to eat breakfast at Hyvee, so Jack was able to participate in that activity. Grandma loves to play uno and skip-bo. At least my kids think she does. If she doesn't, she sure is a pro at pretending fascination. Friday of that week Shawn headed to Texas for a board review prep-course, and the rest of us headed to Nauvoo. Matt was performing with the BYU folk dance team and we wanted to see him in action.

Because his performance didn't start until 8 pm we opted for the hotel rather than the 2 hour drive home with 4 exhausted kids. We arranged to stay in a suite that slept 10. Only I wanted my own bed. I'm already being woken up nightly by the child in utero, I didn't want to be woken up by little feet in my face. Jack ended up sleeping on a roll-away in the kitchen. It was actually perfect for him. He was alone in his own space and wasn't able to touch anyone.

We swam that morning before breakfast, then decided to take an old town wagon ride to hear a bit of the history. My kids were excited as we started, then 10 minutes into it they were all whining. I was tempted to throw Ethan off and make him walk back, but didn't think that was a very pioneer like thing to do. Surprisingly it was Jack that would have loved to take another ride. After a few more sites, we'd had all we could take. Well, the kids were done anyway. I guess staying up until 10 and then waking early doesn't set well.

We hit Burger King for lunch and made it home in time for my dad to mow the lawn for the 2nd time during his visit. He'd mowed earlier in the week after seeing how busy Shawn was. Then, knowing Shawn would be gone for another week, offered to mow again so I wouldn't be in 10 feet of grass by his return. (The grass grows fast in this humidity.) Landon, of course, had to help mow like he usually does. Only he calls it "lawning the grass". Funny kid. Thanks for keeping the jungle under control while on your vacation. (Both the grass and the kids).
Thanks Mom & Dad for making the trek out here to stay with us. We loved every minute of your visit. Only wish it could have been longer. Like all summer.

Sayings....

Yesterday.

Landon: Mom, if someone says "please" then you are supposed to say "yes". Mom, can I please have some candy?

Who is this kid?

Slump-a-wump....

I've been in some kind of a slump the past few days. The kind where all I want to do is run away from home never to return. The kind where I feel like I've fallen in a deep dark hole and there is no way to get out. Laying in bed with the covers over my head would have been nice. I think I can contribute this to Shawn leaving all of April, all of May, and then returning for only 6 days before leaving once again. This time for 7 days. In the 6 days he was home my parents came to visit. Everyone was gone by Sunday, the day the slump started. All the excitement, and then nothing. All alone again to deal with my children suffering post-grandparent disorders and missing their dad on top of it all. Tuesday a small light started to shine in the form of Jessica. I was talking to her earlier in the day and asking questions about the quilt I'm making for Kennedy's room. At the end of the conversation I mentioned I had no idea at what point I'd need her assistance because the material was still sitting on my table and cutting the squares seemed too daunting of a task to start while in my slump. A few hours later Jess pulled into the driveway asking where all my material was. She gathered all the supplies from my table and took them to her house where she cut them all for me. I didn't realize how much weight I was carrying by not having that part of the project completed until my table was cleared of the project. She returned Wednesday night with them all cut, and even had ideas on how to lay them out so they'd look the best. Perfect. Then a few more friends showed up and we had a little girls night "in" complete with treats, a movie, and a lot of girl talk. Apparently all these things combined were really needed to pull me out of the depths of despair. I woke up this morning feeling like a new person. Despite the fact we stayed up waaaay to late for mothers of young children to stay up. Jess showed up this afternoon to help me piece this baby together. She had the perfect tips to make things run smoothly. We both had machines so together it took a few hours. I'd still be working on it next year if I were left alone. Thanks Jess for being insightful enough to see what I needed. Even though I'm sure you thought it was nothing. It saved me from the slump. To top it off? Shawn returns tomorrow night and he's home for the rest of the year. Him studying for the last step of the boards will be minute compared to his absence.

Turned out cuter than I expected!

Tagged....

I've been tagged by Rebecca, and since this one was one I'd never seen before I thought I'd go out on a limb and participate. This is really against my nature because by showing you these personal spaces of mine you will all now know that I'm not perfect. (Ha, ha). I didn't clean, wipe, or fold anything before I took the picture. As is. There aren't any rules posted so I basically just did what Rebecca did.

The fridge:

This fridge came with the house. I would probably prefer stainless steel for the look, but we actually love this fridge. The ice maker has won our hearts. When we finished the kitchenette in the basement we even duplicated it.

The sink:

I don't particularly like this sink. Maybe if I'd scrub it really good so it sparkled I might. But, in reality, it's kind of been the vain of my existence since we've lived here. To the right of the faucet is supposed to be a soap dispenser. It lasted 6 months before part of the inside corroded and the soap that was coming out looked like sludge. I've since opted for Bath and Body Works yummy scented soap. Also the disposal issue. This is the real problem with the sink. I'm sure the plumber that installed the thing was inebriated. Whenever I turn the disposal on, everything shoots out the left side of the sink. Before I ever turn it on I have to plug up the left side and then stretch as far as my arm will go to flip the switch. Ridiculous for a new house to have this issue. Even more ridiculous that after almost 3 years we still haven't fixed it.

The toilet:

Nothing fancy about this one. I'd love to one day have a Japanese imported toilet with seat warmers and all kinds of fancy buttons. For now, this gets the job done. Too bad it's not self cleaning.

What my kids are doing right now....

Now they are all awake, but I was documenting this morning. Kennedy was eating breakfast before summer school (a fun by choice type of thing, not a punishment type of thing) and was obviously not happy to be photographed. Ethan was going to the bathroom so I spared you all. The younger two were still sleeping soundly.

My favorite room(s)...

This is the only room in the house we've actually semi-decorated the walls. I love this room for reading books to my kids before bed. I love that there is no TV to distract from conversation. And I also love that there is enough seating for at least 10 adults.

This is my other favorite room. Or place rather. Nothing like soaking in a jetted tub with a good book after the kids are in bed. This is the only place I feel I can lock the door and hang out for awhile. The kids still bang away outside, but they can't get in. Maybe in our next house I'll have this room sound-proofed. Hmm....

My closet....

This one was really hard for me. It is a disaster. The reason it's so bad is because I'm not wearing 90% of what it contains. Maternity clothes get placed on a few hangers and what used to occupy them end up on the floor. I really want to get rid of things I don't wear, but need to wait until I've lost all this pregnancy weight to see what those things are. The best thing about this closet? It's all mine. Shawn has his very own directly across from mine. Lovely.

My favorite pair of shoes:This one varies. But these are my staples. The brown one's on the left go with everything brown. The asics in the middle are worn everyday for at least 1 hour while I decompress on the treadmill. The one's on the right I recently bought but my swollen feet no longer agree with them. Once this baby is born I know they will be worn a lot. Truth of the matter is, now that it's summer I'm only seen in flip-flops. See my last post for a picture of my two favorite pairs.

Dream Vacation:Hawaii. I've never been, but I'm sure it's fabulous. Hopefully I'll make it in the next few years. Also Disney world or Disneyland. I'm not picky. We've told the kids February 2010 we'll make the journey. Hopefully it will really happen. I guess I don't really have a true dream vacation. To me, anywhere that I don't live, I don't have to cook, the kids are fully entertained, and I'm having a great time is considered a vacation. (Shawn, ignore that last part. Focus on the 1st two only).

I don't know who to tag. How about the girls I know that just moved so I can see their new places. You know who you are.

Two Toned....

I really needed to buy milk yesterday, but the day was crazy. Before I knew it, it was 9:30 pm and I was soaking in my bathtub. I figured I'd just go this morning with the kids. I had a bad dream about Shawn and woke up crying at 6:30 am. I knew my kids would sleep until at least 8, and Ethan would be the one the little kids woke up if they couldn't find me, so I decided to sneak out the door and be back by 7 before anyone knew I was gone. So sneaky. (Don't call DFS). Because I was being so sneaky, I left the light off in the laundry room where I found my flip-flops, and then quietly snuck out the door. It wasn't until I was walking across the parking lot of the grocery store when I realized what I'd done. The people in the store probably thought I was making a fashion statement. But, no, I just literally got dressed in the dark. I now will always wonder when I see people in the grocery store in the wee hours of the morning donning odd apparel if they too dressed in the dark, or if they are indeed making a fashion statement.

Faux Hawk....

On Monday of last week, after Ethan was done eating breakfast, I said to him "let me comb your hair before the bus gets here." He usually complies. That particular morning he told me he wanted to do it himself. This is what the finished product was:He went from preppy to punk in one minute flat. I think it's funny. He was so proud of his new look. I attribute his desire to having his locks fashioned after a rock star to the video game guitar hero III. Ever since he got the game for his Wii he's done nothing but strum lyrics----with or without the guitar present. This weekend he was practicing playing while hanging upside down on the ottoman. Hard core rocker. He's informed us he'd really like to take electric guitar lessons now, because he is so good at playing these songs. He obviously doesn't lack confidence.