WARNING: long catch up post

So for months now I've been wanting to post and catch up on the blog with individual posts and pictures for each event. But since that hasn't happened yet, and I'm pretty sure it won't, I'm going to just catch up on this post, and then try to move forward from here.

Our lives have been pretty busy/crazy. Last week watching General Conference, Elder Uchtdorf spoke, and it made me feel happy because, although I feel stressed at times, it's not sadness necessarily... it's just chaos. Our lives our really good right now. Of course they aren't perfect and there are things that are not so happy, but overall, we are really blessed: We have a job that supports us, and Kenny enjoys. We are in the process of building a home, the kids are healthy and happy, we get a new baby to join our family soon, we have awesome friends here in Montana, and we have family that supports us. So... Here's a little bit of what we've been up to the last 6 months:

So last I posted was October... we went to conference in Salt Lake because Little Miss had requested to go to a session, now that she's 8. We had a great weekend with my high school friend and her adorable little family. Our boys got along well. And my kids loved playing in her yard, with her garden, apple orchard, chickens, dog, and trampoline! Also Kenny's sister was able to meet up with us and hang for Saturday and Sunday. It was great to be with her since she was going to study abroad in London for a few months. We also told family in the beginning of the month that we are expecting another baby into our family. And for Halloween I dressed up as a skeleton with a baby skeleton in my belly to tell our friends that I was expecting. So the secret was out! We shocked quite a few people! We had a ward trunk or treat, and then on the actual holiday we had our friends over for some yummy food and then we went out as a group to get some candy. Kenny and our kids ended up ditching the group because they were so fast and anxious to get as much candy as they could. (Which by the way.... it's almost 6 months later and they still have some Halloween candy. I think it's about time we throw it out!) And we also took new family pictures this month, before my belly started showing too much.

A bat, and a witch for Halloween

They are pretty good to eachother

so cute!

family picture

handsome little man

 

November... Little Miss was in the YMCA basketball program, so she had a practice and game each week. We enjoyed watching her progress and have a blast. Daddy was especially proud, since that's his sport. Kenny and I also participated in the local community volleyball league with some friends. We had a great time! I went to the doctor and found out we were having a boy (Daddy was right!) Thanksgiving came around, we were supposed to have friends over, but there was too much sickness going on in our home. We seemed to catch a lot of yuckiness this winter season and it started this month. I actually stayed pretty healthy, luckily. The Lord blessed me and the baby!!! I only had one horrible cold that lasted a week, and that's all. The rest of the family got influenza (and little man got it a few times)... along with other junk.

December.... We did Chirstmasy stuff. Went to the parade and lighting of the town tree (to be honest though, we were really disappointed. We are hoping Boise will have a little more spirit.) We went into the forest and cut down our tree. Everyone was super happy this year, which was great! The only thing is, I got pretty winded trying to walk up the side of the mountain in snow... darn pregnancy :) The kids both had school parties, and Christmas performances. Poor little man's crown fell apart during his performance and he started crying. Luckily I got his teacher's attention and she fixed it quickly and he was happy again. He even had a speaking part, and did it!!! That's big for him. He's terrified of people (like me) and hates public speaking. Christmas Eve we spent at a friends house. Yummy food, and games, and the kids ran around bare foot in the snow outside. Christmas day was very low key and wonderful! We opened presents and lounged around the house all day. The kids trashed the house with all their new toys and wrapping paper and packaging. But they had a great day, and got lots of fun new things.

she fell down in the snow

getting ready to ride

 

Elfie left a note for the kids, written in M&M's

Little Miss on stage for her Christmas program

Christmas morning....She was in heaven with her new doll

January... New Year's Eve we spent at home (sick again), and I think we rang in the new year at 8:30-ish.  We let the kids stay out of school a couple days, and then headed to Boise. We house hunted one day, and then Kenny and I did a quick trip to Sun Valley just the 2 of us. Grandma Lexie flew up and watched the munchkins for the weekend. It was a much needed break. Then we headed back to Boise. Kenny worked lots throughout the week, while the kids and I swam. We looked at a few more houses. Got snowed in by a crazy winter storm, which actually gave us a little more time to decide on a house. Then we were able to make a decision and moved forward on a new construction home.  We signed the contract, and then headed home to Montana. We got snowed on more, so we stopped in Idaho Falls for the night and rested before we finished the journey. The roads are pretty treacherous during the winter around here:( When we came back, Little Man went to a speech therapist, and was evaluated, and we started going weekly to work on his "S" sound. It's not a big concern, but I thought we could start working on it now before he gets much older.

party time on new year's eve

silly boys

standing on our snow covered lot... in June there will be a house here!!!

 

February... Kenny flew to Chicago for work the first week. Little Man attempted swim lessons, but ended up being sick most of the time, so he didn't learn much. We went back to Boise...Kenny got pulled over 2 times for speeding, and we had to stop every 2 hours because I had injured myself in volleyball and needed to stretch. It was a long but comical car trip. Kenny had work stuff during the week, so the kids and I swam and went to the zoo. We also checked out our new ward. Then we had to pick out stuff for our house. We got to choose everything, like carpet, cupboards, countertops, door knobs, lighting fixtures. It was lots of fun, and also a relief once it was over. We made it home safely, no thanks to the winter storm that dumped on us in the middle of the mountains. I was pretty scared... it's a two lane highway with the mountain on one side, and a drop off to the river on the other side. There are no towns and no cell reception for a few hours. Not the best situation. Plus Little Miss got sick and was having problems. I declared this my last road trip till after the baby gets here! When we came back, Little Miss had to have her tooth pulled. We had been working on it for a couple months, and at that point it was lodged in their because her other tooth had fully grown in. She's cursed with this. I think it's the 3rd time we've done this. And she's only lost a couple on her own. But she was a trooper. She had a milkshake (with a spoon) and went back to school within an hour.

March... Little Miss fund raised for the American Heart Association and did Jump Rope for Heart. She had a great time doing this, and participating in the school event. She even was one of the top earners for her school. That same day I had some wonderful friends throw me a baby shower. It was combined with one of my good friends who is also having a boy. It was so fun to be with my girlfriends and just talk and eat yummy treats, and open cute baby things. We applied, and then found out the kids were selected to attend one of the specialty schools in Boise for the fall, YEAH! Kenny went back to Chicago for work stuff. My mom and stepdad came to visit, on their way to South Dakota, where my stepdad took a new job. The kids were so excited because we haven't had visitors in a long time. My mom froze the entire weekend she was here, and the snow didn't help. But while they were here, we got to celebrate my stepdad's birthday, Little Man had his friend birthday party, we did St. Patrick's day stuff, and decorated Easter eggs. We crammed as much as we could in. Then Kenny flew back to Chicago for a few days. And when he came home we got to Skype with family, and see his sister (who was in London), open her mission call. And of course we celebrated Easter with an egg hunt, and baskets.

Jump Rope for Heart event

baby shower... the 2 pregos and the 2 hosts

 

batman! (this was a picture taken for his party invites)

 

the super party crew... we had it at a gymnastics center, so I didn't have to deal with the mess or entertainment

 

 

April.... kids had spring break last week. Kenny was in Boise so we didn't have much going on. I tried to do a craft or science experiment with the kids each day. We went to the park a few times for playdates. I helped a friend paint her baby's nursery, and so her husband took her kids and my kids to the local children's museum, carousel, and mcdonald's. When I asked the kids their favorite part of spring break... it was that day. The day mommy wasn't around and some other dad took them to do fun stuff :) Kenny and I squeezed in a date on Saturday. It was nice, but we just went to dinner and then we were both too pooped to do anything else, so we came home and he watched basketball while I snuggled with him and took a nap. The next day we watched conference and took it easy, and then sent Kenny off again to Chicago on Monday morning.

Now here we are... middle of April. I'm due in 3 weeks. My husband is out of town :( And has traveled WAY too much for my liking recently, and the kids'. (a few tears have been shed over this.)We have 1/3 of our house packed up and ready to move. We are trying to figure out the rest of the baby stuff we need. We are sort of prepared, but I wish I was more. It's hard to be, when you know you'll be moving a month after you give birth and don't really have a place for the new one. But we are making it work. The kids are feeling a little neglected at this point I'm sure because I have no energy for them. They ask me too come look at something in their rooms, and I don't even have the energy for that sometimes. My "best" some days is that I got them to school, packed a lunch, and picked them up on time. If I can remember to have Little Miss practice violin, and Little Man to work on his speech then we are doing great. If I make a real dinner.... woah! that's an amazing day!!! It's a good thing they both can bathe themselves or that might not get done :)

The pregnancy has been pretty good. No complications. The kids love to feel him move in my belly and laugh when he kicks real hard. They kiss him every day and say "bye baby" when they head off to school each morning. They also tell him "goodnight baby" after prayers each night. He is definitely loved! I was, and still am nervous, about the huge gap between kids, but can see positive things as well. Both his siblings are going to take care of him whenever he needs help. They will love on him and gladly take care of him. Little Miss has already requested to have him sleep in her room so that she can take care of him through the night. Little Man has plans to play balls, and cars with him, and just hold him. Also, during the day, the kids will be off at school, and I'll just have the baby at home, so it will be like a first child again for a few hours, and not a whole bunch of wild monkeys running around. But trust me, I'm scared too. We have to do the sleepless nights again, my babies are always colicky so lots and lots of crying, DIAPERS (yuck!), then potty training, constant attention, dressing him for the day, even buckling a seatbelt again. My kids are pretty self sufficient at this point in their lives. They bathe, dress, feed, read, and play all by themselves. I'm only here at this point to make sure they don't burn the house down, and to drive them places. And really, they don't get into much trouble, so it's really just the car thing :) We are at a fun stage in life, and pretty comfortable in it too. This baby is going to rock our world. But we will adjust, and hopefully it won't take too long. We are very excited for him though.