Three Crazy Munchkins

My little ones

2012-01-25T20:26:00.001-05:00

I love these three little people more than words can express

Snow!

2012-01-25T20:07:00.003-05:00

Well, at the end of January, we finally got our first real snow, which is just crazy for living in New England!

I didn't mind not having snow, since that meant Jake was home instead of out plowing!

But on Saturday, the snow started in the morning and continued on throughout the day. Since we weren't getting too much (just a few inches), Jake didn't have to go in to plow until it stopped snowing, so he was home with us all day!

Once there was enough on the ground, we all bundled up in our snow gear, grabbed 2 sleds, and headed out to the hill at the elementary school around the corner. We all had so much fun sledding! It was so fun having Jake home while it was snowing- that almost never happens!

Time...

2012-01-09T19:20:00.000-05:00

Honestly, where does it go?

Do you know what I was doing today? Filling out Lily's kindergarten registration. Yikes! When did my little Lily become big enough to go off to elementary school?

Tomorrow is another reminder of time and how it goes by too quickly.

Tomorrow, Jake and I will celebrate our 6th anniversary!

Our anniversary always brings up some mixed emotions. I feel so blessed and thankful to have spent 6 years married to my best friend. I pray that we will celebrate another 60 anniversaries together. But it also brings back the hard memories of 6 years ago and where our lives were at then- pregnant, super quick wedding, strained family relationships, my entire world flipped upside down.

When our anniversary rolls around, it's hard not to remember those hard times, and I still look back at them with sadness. But I also rejoice for the life that Jake and I have created together. We have gone through a number of really difficult times together, but they have only brought us closer and made our love and marriage stronger. We have a blessed life, and it is only the way it is now because of the trials we went through years ago.

I still can not believe that it was 6 years ago- seems like the blink of an eye.

But I wouldn't change a thing.

I just wish that time would slow down a bit so that the next time I blink, it's not all over.

My husband, the firefighter.

2012-01-06T20:18:00.000-05:00

Well, he did it!

Jake and his Chief (Sorry for the bad indoor pictures...)

On Wednesday, Jake graduated from fire academy.

I am so proud of him! He worked so hard and it paid off. He is a great firefighter and was the one firefighter chosen by the instructors to receive the Martin H. McNamara Outstanding Student Award for demonstrating outstanding commitment and excellence! My cheeks hurt by the end of the night from smiling so much- I am so proud of him!

Jake and his Chief, receiving his award

Jake with one of his instructors, who made a huge impact on Jake

Jake is such a hard worker and takes his jobs very seriously. I know that he will never give less than 100% when he goes out on a call or is working at the station.

Me and Jake with his Chief

But, reality is starting to set in for me. My husband is a firefighter. In the past month, 2 firefighters have died in Massachusetts. I tend to be a worrier, and this has definitely added a bit of worry. I have been praying a lot, for Jacob's safety and protection, but also for my mind and heart to be at ease. To trust that this is what Jake is supposed to be doing. Well, I actually don't have any doubt that this is what Jake should be doing. He is a great firefighter and even better, he really loves it. It really suits him well and just seems like it's the perfect fit.

So, I really need to keep praying for help letting go of my fears and to be okay with whatever the future holds. Firefighting is a dangerous job, and I have a hard time controlling where my mind goes when I am afraid. Of course my worst fear is losing Jake and how I could handle life without him by my side. But, knowing that this is where we are supposed to be, and knowing that God is in control and is always watching over us and caring for us, that is enough to help me push my worries to the side.

I am so proud of Jake and I know that he is really going to make a difference and help so many people. I am also so happy that he has really found something that he loves and could possibly turn into a full time career for him.

But now, we are celebrating Jake's graduation and we are loving having him home so much more now that he is done with academy!

I love you Jacob and I am SO proud of you!!

Kindergarten

2011-12-19T20:08:00.000-05:00

Kindergarten has been on my mind for a while now, mostly since I thought that Lily would already be in kindergarten this year.

Lily was born on Sept. 1 at 7:14am. The school cut-off is Aug. 31st. She missed it by 7 hours. I tried to get her in, but they make NO exceptions. Apparently it's a state law.

I was bummed out big time when I finally realized that Lily would have to spend another year in preschool. This is her 3rd year of preschool. Lily was in a great Christian preschool the first 2 years (Jonah is there now), but we decided to send Lily to a different school for her 3rd year. We did this because now she goes 4 days a week instead of 3 and she is with kids that she might move on to kindergarten with. I thought that it would be a good step towards kindergarten, even though Lily was totally ready to go this year (yep, I'm still bummed that she's not there).

I am not regretting changing schools, but I don't think it was quite the step I was hoping for. All three years, Lily has been in an integrated classroom, meaning it is kids ages 3-5. I love the idea, I think that Lily and Jonah both have benefited from being in a classroom like that. However, with Lily in her 3rd year, and already very ready for kindergarten, I feel like this year, she isn't growing or learning what she is ready for. To me, each year in school, you should gradually be going up, up, up in what you learn. I feel like this year for Lily is just staying the same, not going up. I am not saying that she isn't learning, because she is, but I don't think it is nearly enough. 3 years doing the same kinds of things: reading, coloring, learning letters, going to different centers, playing outside... She needs more, she is ready for more. She is ready to read, to write, to learn math.

So, Lily and I are doing those things together at home. But I am no teacher, and am finding that I do not have much patience trying to teach her these things. But she is doing well and is so eager to learn, which is so good to see.

We are eagerly awaiting kindergarten. But, I found out some frustrating news from some of our neighbors.

Here's the deal:

The schools offer half day or full day kindergarten- no biggie, I already knew that.

Half day is free- awesome.

Full day is $4,000- What?!

The elementary school one block from our house does not offer half day kindergarten- bummer.

Therefore, if we did half day, Lily would have to be bussed to another elementary school- UGH.

Here's the kicker: Half day kindergarten is SHORTER than Lily's preschool day (which is already ridiculously short, 8:15-11)- I can't believe it.

So, I am upset. Lily NEEDS full day kindergarten. I feel like sending her to half day would be taking another step backward, like sending her for a 4th year of preschool. I know that the curriculum will be different in kindergarten, which I can't wait for, but I don't think that will be enough for Lily.

But $4,000?! No way we can swing that. They do have a scholarship, which of course I am going to apply for the second I can, but I doubt they will give 90%-100% scholarship. Lily received a 75% scholarship for her preschool this year, and we still needed help covering that (Thank you Pappa!).

So, I don't know what to do. I've been praying and praying that somehow we will be able to send Lily, that something will work out. I guess the first step is to see how much of a scholarship we get.

Full day would mean she would go from 7:55-2, and she would be at the school right up the street from us, which would be so amazing. And so so good for Lily.

Everyone has been telling me that it's good that she didn't go this year, because it's always good to be older in the class than younger. I know that she would have done great if she went to kindergarten this year, and I still wish she had, but I know that lots of good will come from having her wait a year. Now she will go through school with 2 of our little neighbors, Eddie and Avery, which will be awesome. Hopefully some years they will be in the same class. That reminds me of my street growing up- 4 of us were all the same age and went through school together too.

I think that kindergarten registration and scholarship stuff will all be starting not too long after the new year, so please pray that somehow, Lily will be able to go to full day.

I am sure, 10 years from now, it really won't matter much, since it is just kindergarten, but now, it does matter, at least to me. I want Lily to grow and really love learning. I want her to be challenged. I do what I can for her at home, but with Jonah and Kate, plus Molly or Mason, it is hard to give Lily all of the time and attention she needs or deserves.

I'll keep you posted :)

Weekend Getaway!

2011-12-07T19:46:00.001-05:00

This weekend, Jake and I are getting away.

Without the kids.

That's right. Our first weekend away in over a year!

Can you tell I'm just a little excited? Jake is taking the day off on Friday. Kate gets mommy and daddy all to herself when big brother and big sister are in school. Then, we are OFF! Dropping the kids off at Grandma Jan's (Jonah and Kate), and Grandpa's (Lily). Then Jake and I are off to Vermont for the weekend!

I LOVE that it is super special for the kids too- Jonah and Kate are so excited to spend time with Grandma Jan and Tim and Lily has been talking non-stop about spending time with Mariah. It's so good for them to have special times with other family and friends, not always just mommy and daddy.

Everyone here in the Kreyling house is looking forward to Friday (everyday Lily counts down the days until Friday)!

Can't wait to spend the weekend with this guy!

Thoughts on Santa

2011-12-05T19:53:00.001-05:00

This year, the kids are older, understanding more and for the most part, get what's going on around them.

Today is only December 5th. Already this year, people have come up to my kids and talked over and over about Santa, more than any other year.

When someone starts talking to the kids about Santa, Lily and Jonah's response is "I don't believe in Santa". One neighbor was very disappointed to hear this and kept saying "Oh, you are too young not to believe in Santa". The kids know who Santa is, but they know that he is not real.

I am really glad that we decided not to "do Santa" with our kids. We want Christmas to focus on what it's really about, the birth of Jesus. When we ask the kids what Christmas is, they say that it's Jesus' birthday, which I think is great. We are even going to make a birthday cake :)

Christmas is not about presents in our house. Yes, of course the kids get presents, but it's not what we focus on. We are making the Christmas season more about experiences rather than things. We are teaching them about Jesus and his birth. Our advent calendar is not a piece of chocolate each day, but a fun Christmas activity to do together (which the kids are loving!).

I am however, teaching the kids not to ruin Santa for any other kids. If someone starts talking about Santa or asks them questions about Santa, they don't say "Santa's not real", but instead "I don't believe in Santa". Hopefully they will remember this when there is talk of Santa at their schools when I am not around to remind them.

But I am really happy with the way we are teaching the kids about Christmas, and that for now at least, it is not all about the presents, but celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.

Crafty

2011-12-04T19:08:00.001-05:00

I've been feeling a bit crafty lately, so I turned to Pinterest (where else!) for some inspiration.

First up, our new advent calendar.

It was super easy to make. I just used a piece of scrap wood, 24 clothes pins, paint and construction paper.

Just paint and decorate how you want, glue the clothes pins down, and add the paper. Jake and I really like experiences more than toys/candy, so each day is a fun Christmas/winter activity to do with the kids.

-Go on a Christmas hayride

-color a Christmas picture

-build a snowman

-bake a birthday cake for baby Jesus

-make a Christmas decoration

-do a Christmas craft

-make/buy special ornaments

-Go sledding

-make paper snowflakes

-have hot chocolate and cookies

-go pick out gifts for siblings

-go to the library and get Christmas books

-bake Christmas cookies

-Charlie Brown movie night

-make cards for mailman

-bake cookies and bring them to a neighbor

-make Christmas cards for friends

-make a gingerbread nativity scene

-Do something nice for someone

-sing carols

-go out and look at Christmas lights

-open one gift (Christmas eve)

-Go out for a special breakfast

-Paint a Christmas picture

It turned out really well (better than the pictures) and the kids love to see what the new activity is each day.

Next was a simple project for our mantel:

All I did for this was search through the kids' blocks and find the letters I needed, then paint :)

So simple, but it looks really cute on the mantel.

This one is straight from Pinterest, but is oh so cute :)

Lily's hands are on the bottom, Jonah's in the middle, and Kate's on top. They had a blast making this, and it is displayed proudly on the mantel.

Hopefully this is just the beginning, and there will be lots more crafts to come :)

Thankful

2011-11-30T20:38:00.001-05:00

This past year has been one of the busiest yet, but I have so much to be thankful for.

I am thankful for my husband, who is so devoted to our family, so in love with me, so crazy about our kids, so generous, so kind. The list could go on and on. I love him more than words can say and I am so happy we are about to celebrate 6 years of marriage!

I am thankful for my kids. This past year I have worked so hard to really become a great mom to my three blessings, and I have really grown leaps and bounds. Parenting is by far the hardest job ever, but I just love those 3 munchkins so so much! They are awesome kids- lots of energy, excited about life, super friendly and lovable, and they love each other so much :) They are best friends and I hope that continues for the rest of their lives.

I am thankful for our home. Our first house. What a blessing to be able to own our house! It sure comes with a lot of responsibilities, but it is worth it. The BEST thing about our house however, is our neighborhood. We are surrounded by amazing neighbors.I am so proud that Jake and I worked really hard to be able to buy our house and now we can provide such a great neighborhood for our kids to grow up in. It reminds me of the neighborhood that I grew up in ( Forest Ave!) and I am so thankful for that.

I am thankful for health. This year, aside from a few illness (Jonah's Lyme and Kate's cyclic vomiting), we are all healthy. Somehow, we have managed to avoid any ER trips, and I pray that we won't be headed there anytime soon.

I am thankful for our awesome friends. I love that 6 years later, we still get together almost every week. What amazing friends we have.

I am thankful that we have enough each month to pay our bills and credit card and put good healthy food on the table, and still magically have some left over each month!

I am thankful for: having 2 reliable vehicles, Jake's jobs, family nights, our cozy down comforter, watching Lily play soccer, having three super ticklish kids and hearing their laughter, my camera and taking pictures, beautiful New England, and the list could literally go on and on.

Thank you Lord for all you have blessed me with!

6 years in a nutshell

2011-11-18T20:27:00.001-05:00

I have been thinking about my life lately. About how busy we always are. Then I realized, that since Jake and I have been together, there is always something going on that is making our lives crazy busy.

2005: Date/Fall in love

2006: Get married, move and have baby #1

2007: Travel a lot, buy first new car and get pregnant with baby #2

2008: Travel, Baby #2 arrives, more travel and 5 weddings

2009: Pregnant with baby #3, high risk pregancy, baby #3 arrives

2010: Adjust to life with 3 kids 3 and under (which was really hard), sell first new car and buy 2nd new car, take 2 family vacations

2011: Buy first house (!!!), flip new house and work on it non-stop for months and months, move into new house, husband becomes firefighter and starts 6 months of intense academy, and I start babysitting 4 days a week.

And here we are, nearing the end of 2011. I can see a clearing in sight. Jake graduates academy on Jan. 4th. There are no more major house projects until late spring/summer of 2012 (new front steps, landscaping, and other smaller projects). But all of the BIG projects are DONE (projects like... making our house livable!)! Pretty soon, Jake won't have to worry about working on the house everyday after he gets home from work. We'll be able to spend more time together as a family!

Sometimes we wonder if there will ever be a time when things aren't crazy or there isn't something major going on. One of the biggest things we have learned since we have been together, is that God is 100% in control. We can try to plan our lives, but in the end, God's plan is always greater. So, I say that 2012 looks like year that our lives are finally going to start to settle, but really, I have no idea what God has in store for us!

I do know that this weekend is the first family weekend that we have had in a LONG time and we are all very excited!!

For my baby girl...

2011-11-16T12:45:00.001-05:00

My Dearest Kate,

Today, you are 2. I can't believe it. I wish I could freeze time for a little while and just cuddle you and sniff your sweet smell over and over, while you still let me.

You were such a surprise to us, and gave us so many scares while you were growing in my belly. So many people prayed for you. And those prayers were answered, you came to us 2 years ago today, a little, but healthy baby girl.

You are such a sweet girl. You are so caring and loving. You are a wonderful listener and great at sharing. You are so smart and curious about everything. You love your big brother and sister so much, and want to do everything they do, even if you aren't quite ready yet. You bring so much fun and joy to our family, Kate. Your daddy and I are much better parents now that you are a part of our family. You love to talk, take care of all of your babies, read and color. You love to run around and try to do everything by yourself. You are a feisty little one.

Kate, you are such a special little girl. Your little face and smile can light up room no matter what is going on. You are incredibly friendly and everyone just loves you to pieces.

Kate, I am beyond happy that God gave you to us because our family just would not be complete without you.

We all love you so much baby girl. We still call you baby, even though you are not a baby anymore. And yes, that makes Mommy and Daddy sad. I wonder when we will stop calling you "baby". I can not put into words how much we love you, Kate. You are truly a gift from God.

Happy Birthday little one!!

My very first photography award.

2011-11-14T20:57:00.001-05:00

A few months ago, I entered a Mass Audubon photo contest.

Honestly, I kind of forgot about it.

Until I got an email a few weeks ago saying that I was one of the 24 finalists (out of 2700 pics). Yay!

Even better, we were invited to a celebration where they would announce the winners. I wasn't really thinking of going- I really didn't think I had any chance of being one of the winners. But Jake was really supportive and wanted to make the trip down to the celebration.

Well, last Sunday, we made the trip, mingled with other photographers, ate some tasty food, and browsed the other 23 pictures.

The time came to announce the winners. There were 4 categories- Best Wildlife Pic, under 18, Best Wildlife Pic, over 18, Grand prize winner, under 18 and Grand Prize over 18.

And, amazingly enough, I got this:

Honestly, I was shocked! I went forward to have my picture taken with the President of Mass Audubon and get my certificate. I looked back at Jake and he was standing there, with the 3 kids, with his arms up in the air cheering for me! Ha! Definitely put a big smile on my face :)

So, as a "Best Wildlife Sanctuary Photo" winner, I went home with a sweet Mass Audubon tote bag filled with little goodies, plus my picture will be in one of their magazines, and in our local paper.

So, it's not a BIG photo contest, winning lots and lots of money, but, I am pretty happy about it :) And really happy with how my photography is going. In the past 6 months, I have won the Mass Audubon contest, was a top 50 finalist, winning $50 in a Veria photo contest, and one of my pictures was picked for the Mass Audubon Groupon! (Click on each of the links to see my pics)

So, I am really happy with the way things are going. Once we can afford it, my next step is to get a new camera. Like, an amazing DSLR camera. Maybe a Digital Canon Rebel or Nikon. Not sure which one I want yet. Still lots of time left to research.... I am SO excited to see what kind of pictures I will be able to take once I do have a more professional camera! Someday!

Kids + leaves.....

2011-11-14T20:41:00.001-05:00

= adorable fall pictures!

Check out these cuties!

My miracle :)

2011-11-02T20:57:00.003-04:00

Well, as usual, we are keeping busy, which is why my blogging is down to about one post a week.

Thankfully, Kate has been fine since her most recent episode. Jake and I are still feeling rather unsettled about it though, not quite sure what is going on with her. I am not a fan of the whole "wait and see" approach. But she is as cute as ever and I just can not believe that our little miracle baby is about to be TWO in just a couple of weeks! Jake was just telling Kate's story to some friends the other night, and it reminded me just how amazing it is that our little Kate is here with us today. Jake told me that he still gets phone calls about it and that we are the first documented case of continuing a pregnancy with the Mirena IUD in utero. Wow. To think about what could have happened... well, I just won't go there. Kate sure has one amazing story with an even more amazing God watching over her. I am so so thankful for that little girl and I can not imagine our family without her!

My little monkey :)

Some Answers

2011-10-24T20:11:00.000-04:00

Well, again this has been one crazy week.

Last Monday, Kate started one of her weird vomiting phases, that she has had a few times before. Basically, she wakes up, throws up (before eating anything), has a bad headache and a few other symptoms, and then is fine for the rest of the day. This goes on for 4 mornings in a row.

For some reason, the other times this happened, I thought it was strange, but just kind of thought it was a weird virus or something. Well, when it happened this time, I mentioned it to a few people, and they really suggested getting her seen by a doctor. So, I took her in on Wednesday. They were pretty concerned and said that we should really see a neurologist at Children's Hospital in Boston.

So, I tried to make an appointment, but they wouldn't be able to see Kate for a few months. I called our primary care doctor back, just to check with them to see if it was okay for Kate to wait that long. They said that she needs to get in, so they were going to call urgent care and get her an appointment. Later that day I got a call from Children's saying that they could see Kate on Monday. Whoa! That was fast!

Well, basically from Wednesday to Monday, my mind had a lot of time to run wild with things that could be wrong with Kate. I was pretty nervous about what they would say, or find, at Children's. I kept thinking that it was going to be a tumor. The thought of Kate having a tumor made me so sick to my stomach. Even the thought of her lying on the MRI table made me so sad.

Well, today was the day. We had our appointment at 2 in Boston. Kate was awesome during the appointment! She happily did everything the doctor asked her to do and was such a happy little girl :)

They told us that it seems like she has Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. It seems to fit her symptoms pretty well. They do want to give her a metabolic blood test when she goes in for her 2 year well child visit, when she has to get her bloodwork done anyway.

If any of her symptoms get worse however, it could be something more serious. So, for now, we just watch her and see how she does. We did get a perscription for her, to hopefully help with the vomiting. Kate has a follow up appointment at Children's in March.

So, for now we have some answers, nothing concrete, but something. Thank you to all that were praying for Kate! Keep praying that none of her symptoms get worse and that her blood test comes back negative.

Writing about change...again....

2011-10-14T14:34:00.001-04:00

I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. Feeling behind. Feeling like things are never quite lined up just how they should be, so that everything is just a little bit off. Feeling like a good mom, but not a great mom. Feeling lazy. Feeling annoyed at how hard it is for me to change, and how hard it is to break habits and ways of life that you have been doing forever.

I know I have written about change before (did I mention how hard it is for me to change and how easy it is to quickly get back into old routines, even if you don't want to?), but here I am writing about it again. I always seem to get really excited about something, then go at strong for a while, then slowly, it fades away. Then a while later, I remember, "oh yeah, I was working on that. Why did I stop?" I have lots of great intentions and ideas, but for some reason can never quite follow through with them. Why is that? Why is it always to easy to give advice, but then really hard to follow that same advice? Why is it easy to see other people's problems, and see a clear solution, but so hard to do the same in your own life?

I see my flaws, my problems, sometimes pretty clearly, other times, not so clearly. I can see the result that I want, but I just don't always know how to get myself there. And now, the pressure is on. I have kids now. 3 little people that look up to me and watch my every move. And honestly, I do not always set a very good example. And I can see the results of that in Lily's behavior. The kids are still young enough, that if I can really stick to this, things can turn around without much harm done. If they were much older, then it would be another story.

So, the time is now. Jake and I are working together to brainstorm ideas of realistic ways we can improve as parents and to really enjoy our kids, before it's too late. They are growing up WAY too fast, and if we blink again, it will be over.

Please pray for us, as we make these changes, that we will be patient, and most of all that these will be permanent changes, and that I won't be repeating this post in a few months because we lost track of it.

Crazy? It's not such a bad thing.

2011-10-11T21:16:00.000-04:00

Life has been a bit crazy lately.

Schedules, work, academy, kids (especially a certain 5 year old...), everything has been crazy.

When people walk into my house, there are usually toys spread all throughout the house. There are crumbs on the floor, since it seems that sweeping 3+ times per day just doesn't cut it. There are dirty dishes in the sink and kids running around like little crazy people, who are usually missing at least one article of clothing. For some reason, my kids seem to go especially insane when we have friends/guests over. They just can't seem to contain their excitement one second, and therefore unleash these intense feelings on our poor innocent friends. And many times, I feel that people see this "crazy" as a bad thing.

The kids do have an amazing amount of energy and I am always struggling to keep up with them. They are not the type of kids that always have clean clothes or nicely brushed hair. Lily's hair has a mind of it's own. 2 minutes after I brush it and do something nice with it, like braids or a cute ponytail, it looks awful. They are not the type of kids to play quietly. They are loud. All the time. They constantly have dirt smeared across their faces and many multi-colored spots and stains on their clothes.

Up until a few days ago, I tried to fight this never ending battle. I was trying to make them be a certain type of kid. I guess the type of kid I pictured in my head. I see kids in the library or doctors office that sit nicely and quietly, reading a book or talking quietly and wishing that my kids were like that. I see kids that are perfectly dressed and keep their adorable clothes clean and their hair looking perfect. I wanted my kids to be like that- clean clothes, nice hair, a good sense of style (something I lack...).

For some reason, it has taken me 5 years to figure out that my kids just aren't like that. I don't need to try to change them. I guess I thought that it was something I should teach them, like their ABC's or 123's. But that isn't something I can teach them. It's who they are. They are loud, crazy, dirty kids. But you know what? They sure know how to have fun. They have amazing imaginations and are very artistic and Lily is extremely athletic. They know how to play really well together (but of course, like all siblings, sometimes fight like there is no tomorrow). They are great at sharing. And best of all, they are best friends. One of my favorite things is to see them playing together.

So, I have been trying not jump on them for getting dirty, or being loud (to a certain degree...) or running around the house in their underwear, or any of the other crazy things they do. I want to embrace them for who they are, not try to change them. They are the kids God created them to be, and I want to let them be kids. Let them explore, create, imagine and dream. They honestly are amazing kids, and I could not love them more than I already do.

Even if they are a bit crazy :)

Note: This does not mean that the rules go out the window! Rules still apply, I guess it's just me relaxing on the little things that, when I really think about, don't matter much to me, but matter so much to them :)

Just let them play

2011-09-30T12:55:00.000-04:00

Since we are about to make a playroom in the basement, I have been thinking about the kids and their toys.

When we were packing up at our old house to move to our new house, I decided to get rid of all of the kids' electronic toys. I have been very happy with that decision.

Sometimes I think, "oh, it would be fun for the kids to have that electronic toy (like a leapster or something like that), maybe it could help with their writing, reading....". But I am glad that we don't have any those toys.

I want my kids to learn how to entertain themselves, not have something entertain them. I don't want them to be limited by a toy, I want them to find endless ways of playing with a toy, using and stretching their imagination. I want them to learn how to read and write from me or Jake or a teacher at school, not a little electronic device. When we are out at the store, or at an appointment, yes, it would make it so much easier to have a toy like that, or give them my ipod to play with, but I want them to learn how to act and behave in situations like that. I want them to figure out ways of entertaining themselves, with books or games they make up, or something like that. Yes, that makes outing difficult at times, but they are learning.

Yes, the kids do watch TV and we did get a portable DVD player for the car for long car trips, but that's about it.

My kids don't have their own ipod, they don't play on my computer or with my ipod, they don't play video games or the wii.

Of course this will change over time, as they get older. But for now, they are still very young, and they have lots of fun with books, blocks, trains/car/trucks, dolls, tools, arts and crafts and playing outside.

So, if you would like to get them an electronic toy, please check with me first.

(I know one thing that Lily really wants is a digital camera (like this one), and that would be a good thing for her to have, since she loves taking pictures.)

Sibling love.... not.

2011-09-19T20:40:00.000-04:00

Alright. I am in need of some advice, some lovin', some support.

I am an only child. I know that siblings fight. But to what degree is the fighting "okay"? I don't know what the normal dynamic is between siblings, so sometimes I feel like I am going through this blindfolded.

I feel like the fighting, name calling, and general mean-ness is at an all time high between the kids, mainly between Lily and Jonah. And I will be honest. If you take Lily out of the equation, the problem virtually disappears.

It feels like she is constantly bringing Jonah and Kate down. She can be so mean to them, mostly to Jonah. The way she talks to him, the way she fights with him, the way she physically hurts him, the way she knowingly gets him into trouble has me so incredibly discouraged. I want our house to be a positive place, where the kids feel encouraged and feel 200% loved. I want it to be a place where they know that everyone there believes in them and their abilities and dreams.

I know they are still little kids, but I can see her squashing Jonah's thoughts and ideas and I see how crushed he is, and I hate seeing that. It breaks my heart.

I can see a difference in Jonah and Kate when Lily isn't around compared to when she is around. Now, I am not saying Lily is like this all the time. There are lots of times each day when the kids get along great and they are happy and playing nicely together. But many times, more lately, it goes downhill fast and Jonah is usually crying because of something Lily said or did to him.

I don't know what to do. Is this behavior normal? I know that it is normal to a point, but I feel like there are issues here that need to be addressed. I have tried talking to her many many times, but it seems to go in one ear and out the other. I have been really stressing "Treat others how you want to be treated" and I have been trying to catch her right when she is doing something hurtful so that she can see right then how Jonah is feeling and reacting to her, and then talking to her about it.

Any advice about siblings?

Each day I am completely worn out at the end of the day (okay, maybe even by the end of the morning...).

I think school has been really good for her, and Jonah too, but I think that since she is focusing so much at school, that she comes home and just lets it all out. And Jonah is an easy target. Such a sensitive little guy.

Is there anything else I can try, other than just talking to her, to try to get it in her head how hurt she is?

Random updates

2011-09-12T20:56:00.001-04:00

Well, Jake is at academy again tonight. He also has academy for the next 3 Saturdays. Boooo. But he didn't have it last Saturday, so we had a great family day (see previous posts)!

Jake in his brand new gear! His jacket says "Kreyling" on the back!

We have been extra busy lately now that school has started up. Lily and Jonah have both been loving school so far (and so has mommy!) and this morning I got to spend 2 hours with just my littlest munchkin! It was so good to spend some time with Kate with no other siblings around. She is such a funny, smart and sweet little girl!

Jake has been struggling at work lately. I am not going to go into it much or give any specifics, but please say a prayer for him and his work situation.

Yesterday church started back up in full swing and I finally got my act together and sent Lily and Jonah to Sunday School, which they loved. It was great to be back at church, with the rest of the church body and full choir. The sermon was great too- it was on forgiveness. It brought up some questions that I had about forgiveness and punishment. But Jake and I had a nice talk about it all. Now that school and church are starting back up, I feel more on top of things. We have a schedule, school, activities and church and I feel accomplished getting through the week and making it to everything in our schedule. I feel really good about finally sending Lily and Jonah to Sunday School and finally getting to church every week. Summer months can be so crazy and hectic and we are so off schedule. It is so nice to be back on a schedule.

Now that school has started up again, I am finally getting back into running. I had a great running schedule early in the summer, but once Jake started academy, that all went out the window. But now that the kids are in school in the mornings (Lily M/T/Th/F, Jonah M/W/F), I have time to go running while they are gone. So far I am 2 for 2. Hooray! Hopefully I can keep it up. I still want to get that BOB stroller, since we don't really need the double seat on our Phil and Ted's much anymore. The BOB's are awesome jogging strollers, so solid and sturdy. My birthday is coming up... hint, hint... I've been looking on craigslist for one, and I might snatch one up if I can find a good deal.

Here is a cute picture of my munchkins playing dress up. They are really into being firefighters these days. I wonder why...

Such a cute picture of Lily and Jonah. Don't know why Kate looks so unhappy...

Afternoon at the Orchard

2011-09-12T20:22:00.000-04:00

Saturday afternoon we went to the orchard! We had a great time and we were all really happy that we were together as a family-Jake didn't have academy!!

Finally a good pumpkin picture!

She was serious about her cider donut!

She was so proud of herself for climbing up on that rock :)

LOVE that face, LOVE that smile!

Lily took this picture!

Sisters :)

Soccer!

2011-09-12T19:56:00.001-04:00

Lily had her first day of soccer on Saturday! She did a great job. She is already excited for soccer this Saturday!

Jonah's first day

2011-09-12T19:10:00.002-04:00

Jonah had his first day of preschool on Friday!

He had a great day and so far, seems to have adjusted very quickly to preschool life.

Since his visit day a little over a week ago, now he will suddenly stop what he is doing, stand up and say "I'm tall!" I love my little guy :)

First attempt at a picture.... what is Kate doing??

Outside of his school- Could he be any cuter?!

First day of school

2011-09-06T20:08:00.001-04:00

Today was Lily's first day of school. She had a great first day and is excited to go back on Thursday.

I think it's going to be a good year :)

Look at that cutie!!

(why does blogger always make my pictures look blurry?? They don't look like that on my computer! Bummer.)

What a week....

2011-09-02T20:21:00.000-04:00

And it's not even over yet!

This week has been crazy. Not really a bad crazy, just a busy crazy.

Last weekend we were prepping for Hurricane Irene. I was ready. I had water, flashlights, candles, and lots of snacks. I even went around the house, inside and outside, taking pictures of everything just in case we needed anything from our insurance company. By the time it hit us, I'm not even sure it was a tropical storm. We were expecting things to be a lot worse. We got a lot of rain and winds, but that's about it. No damage at all. We didn't even lose power. We are so grateful that we weren't in one of the many areas that got hit hard from Irene.

During the storm we...

... made cookies

...Watched movies

...Were prepared in case we lost power

...Did lots of coloring

...and ate those yummy cookies!

Lily had her visit day at her new school on Wednesday. She did great and is excited to start on Tuesday!

(I just realized that I didn't take a picture of her.... I will be sure to take one on her first day!)

Thursday my Lily turned 5! She had a great day- I let her pick almost everything :) Jake and I took her out to Friendly's for her birthday, sans siblings, and then we went mini golfing. It was her first time, and she loved it! It was so fun to be out with just Lily and spend some quality time with her :) Can't believe my little girl is 5!

Dinner at Friendly's

She was a bit unsure when they all came out to sing to her!

Today Jonah had his visit day at his preschool and he did awesome! I was so proud of him. He is such a sweet and friendly little guy and he is going to have an awesome year. I am going to miss while he is at school!

Look at this sweet little guy :)

Tomorrow my father in law is getting married (that is a whole different story!), so we will be very busy with that. Lily and Jonah are both in the wedding as a flower girl and ring bearer. But thankfully, this wedding is pretty low key and not very formal, so that takes a lot of the pressure off. But it will be great to see family that we don't get to see very often.

Sunday is Lily's 5th birthday party! It is her first party with some of her little friends there :) I have been working hard to plan everything and get everything ready. Hopefully it will all turn out well and the girls will have fun! Of course, I will take as many pictures as possible and will do a post about it sometime next week.

It has been one crazy week with a crazy weekend coming up! Hopefully it will go well and we will have lots of fun celebrating!

Those crazy munchkins

2011-08-24T19:50:00.000-04:00

Okay, I'm not going to lie.

The kids have been driving me nuts the past few days. Lily in particular.

That girl has such a little attitude. I need to find a good way of really showing her who is boss. So far, nothing seems to be working. She has earned like 4 3's every day for the past 3 days. UGH! I have a feeling that I was the same way when I was a kid..... bummer.

Jake did give me a night off last night and I was able to wander around and shop at my leisure, which was awesome. I took as long as I wanted and didn't have to wrangle kids out of the clothing racks, or listen to whining or someone saying, "I want this... I want this...." It was great. And Jake got to spend some good quality time with the kids (and of course, they were great for him. Figures, right?)

But, we did have a great time at the playground yesterday, and I got a bunch of good pictures of the kids :)

Flower Girl and Ring Bearer!

2011-08-17T20:06:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, Lily and Jonah had the privilege to be in our friends, Rachel and Keith's wedding. Lily was the flower girl and Jonah was the ring bearer. The kids did a good job, although Jonah had a bit of a hard time at the beginning of the wedding, so I walked up with him. But both kids had a blast at the reception and Lily was a little dancing machine! Jonah looked so handsome in his tux and Lily looked gorgeous in her pretty white dress. And I am proud to say that I did a decent job on her hair! I am not gifted when it comes to make up and hair, but thanks to a little tip from the one and only Melody, I was able to find a simple, but adorable hairstyle to do with Lily's hair HERE.

Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy :)

The color on this one was kind of funny, but I actually like it :)

My Blessings

2011-08-15T21:36:00.002-04:00

I am approached basically wherever I go, by people, usually older women, that feel the need to make comments about me and my kids. I constantly hear phrases like, " Are all of those kids yours?!", "How old are you??", "You are done having kids right?" or " You must be busy!" All of these comments are not said in a nice tone either.

Yes, I am aware that I look very young for my age and do not look like the 25 year old woman, mother and wife that I am. I am also aware that I have 3 kids (and 3 is NOT that many!!) that are all very close in age. I am also very much aware that my 3 kids, that are very close in age, are a hand full and are known, on occasion, to drive me a bit crazy.

BUT THAT IS NOT A BAD THING!

Yes, my kids can be a bit crazy sometimes. But they are MY kids. They are children of God. They are blessings. Gifts from God.

I am tired of people looking at me and my kids and thinking of them only as a handful, making my life difficult. People should look at them as a blessing. Because that's what they are. When all 3 are screaming and crying and need a million different things at once, it is easy to forget what a blessing they are. It is something I need to remember and think about more often as well.

I LOVE my three little munchkins and I am so thankful that God has entrusted Jake and I with their lives. They are vibrant, lively, passionate, wonderful, sweet, and beautiful little kids. They may have a hard time listening sometimes, but they sure know how to have fun and live :)

The next time someone stops me, which will probably be tomorrow when we go out shopping, I will stand up tall and proudly say that my kids may be a handful, but I am thankful for every second with my three little blessings.

My sick boy

2011-08-13T08:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Jonah was diagnosed with Lyme disease.

I am thankful to finally have an answer.

He has had a mysterious rash for 2 months.

I had talked to the doctors 4 times about it and seen them 3 times. The first time they said it was a "summer virus". The second time it was poison ivy (or something similar), which he actually did have, on top of the Lyme disease, and the third time, they just didn't know, so they sent us to a dermatologist (guess I can cancel that appointment). The 4th time was when I brought up the possibility of it being the Lyme, and said I wanted him tested for it. 5 vials of blood (and lots of crying) and 2 days later we find it is, in fact, Lyme disease.

Poor Jonah has been very itchy, achy, and whiny for most of the summer, and now we know why. Thankfully he never got a fever or flu-like symptoms with it. But the doctor did say that his Lyme test did come back strong.

Please keep out little guy in your prayers- that the medication does it's job and gets rid of this disease, that Jonah continues to enjoy taking his medicine, that the medicine starts working quickly so my little guy can have some relief.

Such a sweet little guy :)

Letting it go....

2011-08-11T07:42:00.003-04:00

I need to let go of this negative attitude so that I don't ruin our day...

I am upset that bed time was a disaster last night,

and the kids did not sleep in, at all. They went to bed 2 hours late, and woke up bright and early. UGH.

I am really upset that I had a horrible nights sleep last night.

I am exhausted.

I am annoyed that I failed at my attempt to make jelly,

and I don't even know what I did wrong.

I am annoyed that I failed at my attempt to make hummus.

Failed miserably at that one.

I am annoyed that Jake can't take tomorrow off to go to the zoo with us.

I am sad that Kate is leaving tonight to go stay with Grandma Jan until Sunday.

I'm going to miss my sweet little one :(

I am annoyed that I can't take my kids anywhere without them acting like crazy little people.

And I am most sad that I don't see Jacob very much. I need a night out with him more than anything, but there isn't a free night in sight :(

Hopefully now that I have let go of all my current frustrations, I can put this bad mood behind me and move on with our day.

At least it's beautiful outside.

Don't Blink

2011-08-08T20:22:00.003-04:00

My dearest Lily,

I have been thinking about you a lot lately. More than usual. There is a reason why.

You are about to turn 5. I can not believe it. I can not believe that you are going to be 5 years old.

It feels just a few days ago that we found out about you. You were not expected, but your daddy and I are so thankful for you and your life and we know that God is doing and is going to continue to do BIG things in your life!

Being pregnant with you was one of the hardest things that I have ever done. It was by far the most challenging chapter of my life so far. But it was all worth it. If I had not gone through that, we would not have you, or your brother or sister. It was definitely worth it.

You are such a fun, lively, vibrant little girl. You are full of life and energy. You are so amazingly athletic and love sports and being active. You also love to color and do arts and crafts. You love princesses and dressing up, although not quite as much as last year.

You are a great big sister to Jonah and Kate, and they love you to pieces! You are a great helper (when you choose to be) and you love making me and daddy happy.

You are just starting to make some good friends, and I know that once you start school in a few weeks, you will make lots of new friends. Sometimes you are a little shy at first, but you are always very outgoing and warm up to people very quickly.

Although you still act like the little girl that you are, I can see glimpses of a very mature and responsible girl beginning to emerge.

You are such a beautiful girl. I hope you always believe that.

Lily, I love you more than I can say. You are growing up too fast. One day, I was holding my new little baby girl, and then I blinked, and you are almost 5.

I am afraid to blink again.

I love you little one.

Love,

Mommy

I love these guys....

2011-08-03T21:56:00.000-04:00

Thoughts...

2011-08-03T20:30:00.001-04:00

~Tonight is night #2 of Kate going to sleep plug-less.

She is still crying...

~ Jonah has a nasty itchy rash on his torso and legs.

Not quite poison ivy (or Toys and Ivy as Jonah says), source of rash is undetermined.

~Said rash has made Jonah very grouchy.

Oh, and he has been up 6 times a night.

~ Jake is at academy, yet again, tonight. I am really starting to miss that guy.

~ I took the kids to vehicle night at the library tonight.

They loved it.

I am tired.

~ I wonder when the things I say 782 times a day will really start to sink in...

I should just record myself saying these things, and then play it on "repeat" all day long.

~ Jonah and Lily are in a wedding next week.

They are going to look unbelievably cute.

I am terrified that they are going to mess up the whole wedding.

~ Jake and I are already dreaming about our Outer Banks vacation we are going to take in the Spring.

It's going to amazing.

~It has been just about 3 years since I have talked to them.

I don't even know how that makes me feel- sad, angry, confused.

I wonder if things will ever work out. When we will talk again.

I just don't understand how they could have let it get this way.

It breaks my heart.

But this is how it has to be right now.

Please VOTE for us HERE!
Thank you!

My silly boy

2011-07-27T22:04:00.001-04:00

Jonah is our one kid that still wakes up crying a couple of times a week. Usually it's because he can't find something, his blanket or his pillow, or because he slid off of his bed (which is literally 7 inches off of the ground, don't worry!).

Last night, around 1ish (I think, I don't quite remember...), I wake up to Jonah's cries. I stumble out of bed and make my way into his room.

I kneel down to his bed (he sleeps on the bottom bunk) and say, "Jonah, what's wrong?"

And to that he replies," Don't call me "Sir"!"

Trying to hold back my laughter, I say to him, " Okay, Jonah, I won't".

And that was it. That's all he wanted to say!

Then I tuck him back in, and maybe steal a few snuggles and kisses along the way, and he mumbles a few things while drifting off to sleep.

Such a silly little guy :)

Definitely gave me a good laugh!

And please vote for my picture of Jonah! We already made it to the top 50 (and I just received my $50 in the mail today- yahoo!), but vote to keep us in the running for the grand prize!

VOTE HERE

Thank you!

Life these days...

2011-07-25T20:43:00.000-04:00

How we are really doing:

We have never been so busy. Jake is working almost non-stop, either at his day job, at the fire department, or on the house.

I am busy with the kids and the house and watching 2 extra kids, 3 days a week.

Things are much better then a year ago. I have worked on myself, as a parent, so much. Working to be more patient. Working to really understand my children and figure out why they do what they do or act the way the do. Working extra hard on how I handle my anger.

I do still need to work on not raising my voice to the kids so much. But it's so hard. They are LOUD. Most of the time I am just trying to get them to hear me!

One thing we, Jake and I, do need to work on more is spending more time with God, reading His word and spending more time in prayer, with each other and on our own.

Sometimes I still feel like I can't quite catch up. With the 3 kids, sometimes I feel like I can't stay on top of things. And because of that, sometimes other things get left out. Trips to the zoo, museums, aquarium, camp, sports. I want to be super organized and ahead of the game, planning all of these awesome day trips, or signing Lily up for camp, or figuring out what sport to get Lily into. Being a mom these days is hard (well, I suppose that it has always been hard!). We are expected to always be ahead, on top, prepared for every possible situation. I feel like I am not there yet. I feel like I am running to try to catch up.

I did sign Lily up for soccer this fall, which she is super excited about (as am I)! Sometimes I wish we had more money so that I could get the kids involved in whatever interests them. Lily is our little athlete. She is good at everything. I have been trying to figure out what sport would be best to put her in, which one she would enjoy and thrive in the most. I think that gymnastics would be great for her. Too bad it is SO expensive! She has also blossomed into a GREAT swimmer! She is already diving off of the diving board! But she also loves soccer. I guess we will start with soccer this fall and maybe get her into swim lessons this winter? If anyone wants to know what to get Lily for a birthday or Christmas present, sign her up for a sport, I promise that is what she would love the most!

So, things are going well here, just super busy and trying to catch up to my kids, who are growing oh so fast. I honestly can not keep up!!

Lynch Park

2011-07-25T19:12:00.000-04:00

Well, I am blogging again. That means, you guessed it, that Jake is at academy tonight.

Today I finally took the kids over to Lynch Park to explore and get our beach sticker. The kids had a blast and probably could have played there for most of the day, which I was not prepared for. Maybe next time kiddos.

Here are some highlights:

Stationery card

2011-07-22T20:11:00.001-04:00

Confetti Party Pink Birthday Invitation

Shutterfly photo cards for Birthdays, graduation, and Mother's Day.

View the entire collection of cards.

Obsessions

2011-07-20T19:48:00.003-04:00

I feel like there is always something I am obsessing over.

Whether it's a car seat, or a van, or a house (to name just a few).

It seems that there is always something that I am wanting. And I don't like this. It makes me feel as though I am not grateful. But I am. I am so thankful for all that I have been blessed with. I don't think I want these things because I think they will make me happy. I think I want them because in my mind, I think they will make things easier. They will make life easier.

And you know what, the things that I have obsessed over and actually convinced Jake to go through with purchasing, actually have made my life somewhat easier. I know that life is never going to be easy. Especially with my three munchkins, who always keep me on my toes. But to me, sometimes it's worth it to invest (as long as we aren't investing too much) in little things that can make our day go a little smoother.

So what are my current obsessions, you ask?

I would LOVE to have an Ergo. I am thinking of trying to convince Jake to get one of these instead of a new umbrella stroller since ours was recently devoured by mold when our basement flooded. I just think it would be awesome to carry Kate around this, and I think it would be super helpful on the days when I watch other kids, which is 3 days a week, maybe more soon! So, we'll see. Maybe I can find a good deal on one! That was current obsession #1.

Current obsession #2 is this:

I know it is a bit ridiculous of me to want this stroller so much, since I do have a Phil and Ted's. But I really don't like jogging with the Phil and teds. It's a bit shaky and wobbly when I am running, which I don't like.

So, I have had my eye on this sweet stroller for a while. I can't decide if I want the BOB revolution, like the one pictures above, or the BOB sport utility. I think I would be happy with either one. I had the double BOB sport utility a while back and I loved how smooth the ride was. It was an awesome stroller, but I sold it when we were pregnant with Kate since it was the older model and couldn't fit the car seat in it (hence the Phil and Ted's). So, there is obsession #2. If I can find a great deal on one on craigslist, I think I will jump on it. We'll see.

Wordless Wednesday: Dada's shoes

2011-07-20T13:29:00.001-04:00

Love this little munchkin :)

Please VOTE- just one click!

2011-07-19T09:56:00.001-04:00

Please vote for my picture! It just takes one simple click!

http://www.veria.com/taste-of-summer-photogallery-entry-14.html

Thank you!

My firefighter

2011-07-18T13:54:00.001-04:00

Well, Jake starts fire academy tonight. That means that for the next 6 months, he will have academy every Monday, Wednesday and every other Saturday (all day). This is a huge commitment. You aren't supposed to miss a class, or you will probably be kicked out of academy.

I think Jake will do great. Anyone who knows him knows how hard he works. But, he is feeling a little nervous about it. It is going to be physically and emotionally draining, on both of us!

Please pray for Jake as he starts academy and also for his safety as he is already responding to calls at all hours of the day.

Please pray for me also, for extra patience with the kids, now that daddy is going to be gone a lot more and won't be able to help as much.

I am so proud of Jake for all the work he has already put into being a firefighter, something he has wanted to do since before I even met him! He has been so patient, and now that we are finally settled and will be around for a while, he can finally pursue one of his dreams :)

Sorry for the awful picture, it was taken with the ipod.

Time

2011-07-16T14:24:00.001-04:00

I can not believe that this little munchkin,

is 20 months old today.

It feels like just yesterday that we were coming home from the Outer Banks (best. vacation. ever.) as a family of 4, only to find out a few days later that I was already 11 weeks 3 days pregnant and faced a high risk pregnancy (read this post for that story) and many unknowns.

I can't believe that was just over TWO YEARS ago!

So many times I just wish for the days to go by quickly because the kids are driving me nuts, or I will say something like, "I can't wait until (insert kid's name) can do this, or that".

Even though I say those things in the moment, or out of excitement for what the future holds, really I just want time to slow down. I want to enjoy my kids NOW because my time with them goes by way too fast, even though sometimes it seems the opposite. I really love the ages my kids are at right now. I wish I could freeze them. I am excited for them to grow and experience life and for my relationship with them to grow as well, but I am sad they are growing up. I know that I am going to say it over and over as each kids gets older, but it is so true. Kids grow up way too fast :(

Lily and Jonah meeting Kate. I LOVE Lily's face, she was so excited :)

My little 5 pound munchkin, only a few days old!

Beach lovin.

2011-07-12T12:32:00.000-04:00

Jake and I have been trying to take the kids swimming and to the beach more this summer. Since Kate is getting older, it is easier to take them out and have more fun together!

One of our favorite beaches to go to is Singing Beach in Manchester By the Sea. I love living my the ocean :)

Side yard

2011-06-29T19:41:00.000-04:00

This was our side yard BEFORE:

Hideous, right??

And here is our side yard AFTER (but before the patio/deck is put on):

We are working on growing grass there, it is still kind of patchy. Hopefully it will really fill out next spring/summer.

Someday we will be adding on a deck/patio right off of the sliding doors.

Once we have a deck, we will extend the fence (on the far right) so that the deck will be fenced in. I am betting that we will just move the fence so that it lines up with the edge of the house, near the front door. That will be awesome because it will make the "play" area for the kids so much bigger!

New pictures :)

2011-06-20T21:01:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a while since I've updated anything, things have been a bit crazy around here lately.

I have great news- Jonah is finally potty trained! Yahoo! Once he was ready, it went really fast and was pretty easy. He has about 1 accident per day, some days with no accidents. I am thrilled that we finally, after 19 months, have only one kid in diapers!

Things with the house are going well. Jake is currently in the middle of building our new screened-in porch. Once that is done, he can finish the siding on the back of the house. Once we get some pictures hung, I will take pictures and maybe even a video of the inside all finished. It looks great!

Here are some new pictures of the kids, aka, my favorite little people :)

First Big Before/After pic: The Front

2011-06-08T13:24:00.000-04:00

Before:

AFTER:

Things left to do in the front: Hang screen door, put gutters back up, and do some landscaping!

2 pics next to each other- doesn't even look like the same house!

We're In.

2011-06-03T21:20:00.000-04:00

Well, we are finally in. Moving day was last Saturday. I was surprisingly emotional about leaving our little apartment. I don't do well with change, even if the change is positive. We are settling in well and have most things unpacked. Jake is still working on random things inside the house, plus a lot of things outside, so there is still annoying construction dust that I am constantly cleaning up. But soon enough that will be a thing of the past.

The kids are loving the new house. We have been outside playing most of every day, which has been great! Today was Lily's closing ceremony at school, which was adorable. It is officially summer in our house now.

Tomorrow my little man turns 3! We are having a VERY low key party (if you could even call it that) on Sunday. Jonah picked "Cars" as the theme, so he should have a great time :) I feel kind of bad that we aren't have a big party, like we usually do for the kids' birthdays, but since we just moved, I am just not feeling up to it this time. Thankfully, he is only turning 3 and I don't think he will even notice :)

We have been amazingly busy the past couple of weeks. I am hoping thing will start to slow down now that we are in the house and Lily is finished with school. Once we make the house feel more like a home, I will finally take the "After" pictures and post them :)

One of those days...

2011-05-23T20:25:00.000-04:00

Today was just one of those days. One little annoying thing after another to make one big annoying day.

The morning started out fine, we actually made it to Lily's school a bit earlier than usual. Molly was with us today, which was fine. She is a big fan of asking the same questions over and over even though she either already knows the answer to or I already answered her the first time. Not a big deal, but I guess when you have 3 other kids also doing the same thing, it gets old pretty quick.

Then it was time to load up the three kids for Kate's 18 month check up (by the way, she is 22 pounds!). It is NEVER easy bringing 3 kids to the doctor. We were actually on time, but going along with today's theme of being annoying, there were no open parking spots near the office. Bummer. Then we have to wait 30 minutes to be seen. We see the nurse for about 4 minutes. Then wait another 20 minutes for the doc to come in. Finally he comes in, after Jonah practically destroys the room, and takes a look at Kate, which lasts, what, like 5 minutes? Meanwhile Jonah is pretending to be a cat (not unusual for him) and is "meowing" rather loudly. Then he walks right up to our family practice doctor and LICKS his leg. Doctor T. had a nice big wet spot on his fancy pants. Awesome. So, appointment's finally over, we are trying to leave, I get the usual "You've got your hands full!", and we load back into the car, 1.5 hours later! For seeing the doctor for 5 minutes. Ugh.

We get home, eat a quick lunch, get back in the car and pick Lily up from school. Anytime Lily and Jonah are sitting in the last row of the van together, they fight constantly. So, the 5 minute ride back home was filled with screaming and crying.

Finally home for good and Kate and Molly go down for naps. Hooray! But it was yet another gross, cold, rainy day here in Boston so the kids were cooped up inside. I did get a little break while Lily and Jonah watched Veggietales, which was nice, but also made me super tired. I guess the afternoon was okay, the kids were really hyper and crazy since they couldn't go outside. Then, Jake got home late for dinner because he was having the plumbing looked at over at the new house. Parts of it need to be fixed. It wasn't done quite right. Another minor bummer. My night ended with a nice head butt in the eye from Jonah while putting him to bed. An accident of course, but still really painful!

So, nothing terrible happened today, it was just a lot of little annoying things that build and build. Let's just say I am really glad that the kids are in bed and there is no noise coming from the baby monitor!

My 18 month old girl

I sure wish she would stop growing so fast!

Kitchen pics and update!

2011-05-22T14:06:00.000-04:00

These pictures are a few days old, but blogger wouldn't let me post pictures :( At least it's working now!

Cabinets are in! The empty space on the right is for the dishwasher.

Still very unfinished here, but at least most of them are in!

Here it is even more finished- most of the counter tops are in plus the sink, stove, microwave and light.

As of late this morning, our kitchen is DONE! All cabinets are hung, all appliances are in and working, and all counter tops are on! It is still a bit of a mess (tools and dust all over), but the next time I get over there I'll take some more pictures. It looks great. Time to start packing up our current kitchen and getting things set up in the new one :)

Update on the rest of the house:

Almost everything on the inside is done! All that is left is to finish the trim on the windows in the living room and 2 of the windows in our room and the bathroom. Jake and Pappa are working on setting up the new washer and dryer right now, so hopefully (fingers crossed!) that will be done by the end of the day.

My sister in law Mariah came yesterday to watch the kids so that we could pack up most of the house and bring it over. We got a lot done! I also got the kids' rooms unpacked and set up, except for the things we are currently still using here at the apartment. We even got their curtains up yesterday, so their rooms look really cute :) I'll take some pictures of the bedrooms too, since they are mostly done.

We were going to move in completely today, but since the plumbing wasn't totally finished, we decided to postpone moving for a few days. So, sometime this week we will be in, Saturday at the latest. Our apartment is looking rather bare, and I will admit that I am sad about leaving. Moving is definitely the right thing to do, but we have so many memories in this little house. All 3 kids were born here, and since Kate started walking a few weeks ago, I can say that all 3 took their first steps here. So many firsts. We moved in here 2 weeks before Lily was born. This apartment has given me many headaches and frustrations, but it has also been such a blessing to us. We were able to save so much money by living here and working off our rent. We were able to pay off all our debt, and then start saving for our house. We were able to put down a 10% down payment and also still have enough left to spend $20 thousand + to fix up the house. We are so thankful for the opportunity to live here, but it is time to move on. And we will be doing just that in a few days :)

Stay tuned for more pictures!

Kitchen!

2011-05-20T21:08:00.000-04:00

Our cabinets finally arrived! Hip hip hooray!

Last weekend was spent installing them. The kitchen is not quite done yet. One more little cabinet to be installed, fridge and dishwasher need to be put in, and the butcher block (awesome, right?!) counter top needs to be installed.

But it finally looks like a kitchen! A messy one, but it's still our kitchen :)

Grrrr, blogger won't let me upload any pictures for the last 2 days. I'll try to post them soon- whenever it lets me!

A post NOT involving the house!

2011-05-13T20:26:00.000-04:00

I realized that all of my blogging has been about the house and I haven't written anything about the kids lately.

Lily is 4 1/2 (she will not let you say "4", it must include the "1/2") going on 16. Oh my. That little girl has been giving me some headaches lately. She's got some serious attitude going on. I mean, she does the hands on the hips, pouty lips, squinty eyes, angry voice, anytime she hears the word "no". I talked with her teacher and figured out that she is definitely going through some big transitions right now, the move being a big one. So, thanks to Miss. Emily and her suggestions, we have created a moving countdown calendar for Lily, so that she can visually see the days going by and how many days are left until we move. She has loved checking off each day and counting the days left. We also re instituted 123 magic. She's been doing great (although today was a rough day with her...) and she has already earned her 10 stars! Unless she changes her mind, we will soon all be headed out to ice cream together as a family :)

Jonah is turning 3 in just a couple of weeks! I have been enjoying my little boy SO much lately. Yes, he of course has his tantrums, but nothing too bad. He has been so funny lately. He loves to pretend that he is different things, usually animals, but sometimes he pretends to be a digger or a backhoe or loader. His favorite is to be a "baby kitty" and he walks around meowing. He turns everything into something "kitty": He has his "sister kitties", "kitty snack", "kitty diaper" and so on. That kid has such a great imagination. I love it. He has also been my little helper lately. Every time I am in the kitchen making a meal or snack or doing the dishes, he brings his little chair over and says "I can help you!" and just stands there, waiting for me to give him a task. He is just so happy to stand there and help me. I love that little guy :)

Kate is almost 18 months old! Where did my little baby go?? The big thing with her this past week is that she is finally walking!! She looks like a little zombie, but is SO cute. I love that little munchkin. She has such a little personality. She definitely lets you know if she doesn't like something! And she is learning how to stand up for herself with 2 big siblings. But she can also be very sweet and loving. If Lily or Jonah is crying, she will go right over to them and give hugs and kisses and pats on the back. It is just precious. Watch this video!

Things are going well with the kiddos- they are excited to get into the new house!

10 days

2011-05-11T20:27:00.000-04:00

Move-in day is right around the corner.

10 days away.

The bedrooms are finished, except for window trim, but that's not on the list of high priorities right now. It will get done soon, but probably not until after we move in sometime.

Not the best picture but I wanted to show off the new ceiling fans Jake put up the other day :)

Since the bedrooms are done, we have started moving things in! Mostly books and lots of the kids' things. But it's exciting to see parts of the house finished and see our own things in being set up!

I decided that Kate is going to be in the "Oh Bother Blue" room for now. She needs her own room the most right now, being the littlest, so for now, Jonah and Lily will share the "Barely Pink" room.

Our new kitchen cabinets are being installed on Saturday! I can not wait to see what the kitchen will look like after they are in.

Electrical work is getting done- most of the outlets and light switches are in and complete, just not turned on yet. Most of the light fixtures are in already too. All that's let to put up are the pendant lights in the kitchen and the light in the dining room.

Jake has also started the siding, which looks great. Another little glimpse of what the house will look like once it's done :)

The chunk missing on the bottom of the siding will be fixed after the electrical company comes to switch over the service.

Things are really coming together, more and more every day! Jake is over there right now working on the window trim in the kitchen :)

Suggestions??

2011-05-05T20:29:00.000-04:00

Alright, I need some help from all of you.

I got this idea tonight.

I would LOVE to make something that my kids can read to encourage them, build them up, remind them how much God loves them and how much Jake and I love them. I am not sure what form it will take yet- plaques/posters/painting or just something directly on the walls.

I want inspirational bible verses that they can look at and think of God's love. How God formed them each individually and that they are a part of the Kingdom of God. That HE loves them and will always love them.

I want something that will lift their spirits when they are feeling down.

I want something that will help them to feel confident: Phil. 4:13 "I can do everything through him who gives me strength", or something similar.

I want something to remind them that they are beautiful and unique and made in God's image.

I didn't have the best self image/self confidence growing up. I want my kids to be confident and secure in who they are and what they believe. I know they are still just babies, but I think that having some encouraging sayings and bible verses they can always look at will be a comfort to them and a constant reminder of some of the things that are most important in life: God and family and the love that overflows for them.

So, getting to the point, I would love to hear some ideas of encouraging bible verses and/or sayings/quotes that you have! I have a lot of ideas swirling around in my head, but I am not always the best at getting them into words or getting directly to the point (hence my many rambling blog posts!).

I am really excited about this new project and I can't wait to hear what ideas you have!

Carpet

2011-05-03T20:43:00.000-04:00

The carpet is in! It looks awesome. The pictures really don't do it justice- it looks about a hundred times better in person. (Sorry, I couldn't seem to get a good picture of the carpet in any of the bedrooms)

Jonah's "Oh Bother Blue" room :)

Lily and Kate's "Barely Pink" room

note the new windows too :)

The trim on the windows still needs to go back on, but that is a minor detail that will be completed whenever we get a chance. There are more important things to work on right now :)

And Jake is putting in our new kitchen floor tonight! I'll try to go over tomorrow and take a picture of it.

I was also able to go over on Saturday and paint the kitchen. The color looks great, but the kitchen still looks pretty funny since we didn't paint where the cabinets will go, so it looks very unfinished. But, at least there is color!

not a great picture of the paint, but it will be a good "before"picture.

The pink stuff...

2011-04-28T20:39:00.000-04:00

insulation, that is.

The past couple of days Jake has been putting in all of the new windows (which are ALL in as of this afternoon- woohoo!)

Along with all of the windows, Jake has been putting on the nice pink insulation. He just has to put the insulation on the back of the house, and then the new siding can go on!

The blown-in insulation was done on Monday, the carpet is being installed this Monday, new cabinets come a week from Monday (lots of things happening on Mondays!). Then all of the big stuff is done done done!

Hip Hip Hooray!

Floors!

2011-04-25T20:06:00.000-04:00

I have to say, once again, that I am SO incredibly proud of Jacob. I can not believe all of the work he is doing on our house. It's amazing. The only thing that we are hiring someone for is the blown in insulation, which I don't even think is possible to do yourself. Oh, and we are getting the carpet installed by the home depot guys, but that's because installation is free :)

Last night and today Jake was working on re-finishing the hardwood floors. And they look AMAZING! He still has two more coats of... I don't remember what it's called, but it makes the floors shiny and beautiful and it also protects them from scratches and whatnot.

I don't have a good before picture but here is a picture of the floor with the first coat:

Doesn't it look great?!

I'll put up another pic once it's completely done.

On the agenda this week:

- start replacing all the windows!

- get the kitchen primed and painted

- clean up the bathroom and install new vanity, mirror, toilet, faucets

- blown-in insulation

- start putting up the new siding

- keep chugging away at electrical work (which is making great progress- thanks Pappa!)

Move in day is in less than a month! Guess I better start packing, seeing that I have packed a total of 3 1/2 boxes so far....

Progress

2011-04-17T19:29:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is Jake's first day back to work since we bought the house on March 31st. I think he is pretty bummed that he will be losing 8 hours a day to work on the house. There are still a couple major projects that need to be worked on: the siding, kitchen (that's last), insulation, and windows. Jake installed the first new window on Friday (it looks awesome, by the way!) AND he installed our new sliding door!

Our new backdoor and new window. There was no window there before, so Jake had to take down the interior wall (to also widen the doorway) and cut out a spot for the window. I am so glad we decided to put a window there, it looks great!

Another shot of the new backdoor and window in the kitchen. Didn't he do a great job?!

Before the sliding door:

After sliding door:

Yay! Doesn't it look SO much better? I love it. And the slider has blinds that are built in between the glass so I don't have to clean them and the kids won't destroy them! Hooray!

Jake is painting Jonah's room right now, so that means that all rooms, except the kitchen, are done! Carpet should be installed, in bedrooms only, by the end of the week. Jake is planning on refinished the hardwood floors (living room, dining area, and hallway) this week, and I think that the blown-in insulation is getting done this week too!

It is amazing to see so much getting done. Our to-do list is getting much smaller and the finished product is in sight! The inside of the house will be done SO soon, it's beyond exciting! The kitchen won't be done until the first or second week in May when our cabinets arrive.

Jonah boy "helping". AKA, getting in the way and touching everything!

I am so impressed with my hubby- he is amazing :)

There's my handyman :)

Sold.

2011-04-15T20:46:00.000-04:00

ps: I am planning on taking an "after" picture just like this, to compare, since it's not even going to look like the same house when we are done (thank goodness!).

"Before" pics: Inside- living room/kitchen

2011-04-13T20:15:00.000-04:00

Well, we have been beyond busy working at the house. Lots has been accomplished and there is still a lot left to do.

Yesterday, Jake finished re-roofing our house! It looks awesome. I haven't had a chance to take a picture yet, but I will eventually. The electrical work is making great progress. All rooms except Jonah's have been primed, the ceilings have all been painted, Jake started painting the bathroom and the girls room today! I am SO excited to finally see nice clean color on the walls!! Once the rooms are painted, we can get the carpet installed in the bedrooms and the hardwood refinished in the living room/dining area and hallway.

Also, this weekend, I got to go over to the house and work on the yard! It was awesome.

So, here are "before" pictures of the living room/dining area and kitchen.

Living room. Front door. Part of the "dining" area

The NASTY wall in the living room. You can see where they had all their pictures- that's how dirty all the walls and ceilings are (it's from a bad furnace, not smoke)

Entry into the kitchen (which has been completely gutted)

Fireplace!

Kitchen

Dining area. We were going to remove the window, but found some termite damage right underneath the window, so we decided to put in a sliding door. It worked out well because we were thinking of putting one in anyway and we will be putting in a deck or patio right outside of the sliding doors :)

Front door and entry closet

Another view of living room

View of living room from standing near the front door. I LOVE the fireplace and built in bookshelves!

The Ugly Duckling

2011-04-02T19:37:00.000-04:00

I like to think of our house as the "Ugly Duckling". It is definitely the most unattractive house on the street. But, it has lots and lots of potential. Usually I have a hard time seeing past the ugliness and seeing that potential, but with this house, I can easily see how great it will be once we are done :)

And now....

the beginning of the "Before" pictures. Today will be just of the outside.

There it is! Our Ugly Duckling :)
(In a few feet of snow!)

The back

No we will not be keeping the lovely mustard yellow siding and orange shutters :)

Part of the back

Already the big tree on the left is gone as well at the pine tree you can see in the top right. We will be adding a new roof, new siding, new windows, new front and back door/screens, a sliding door going out onto a deck/patio area (that will be in the side yard), and a fence. It is going to look drastically different!

The side yard. We are going to fence in the back and side, so it will kind of look like an "L" once it's fenced. The big window on the left is going to become a sliding door and we will be in putting a deck/patio.

Well, there you have it. A lot of progress has been made in just a few short days. I'll be putting up inside "before" picture when I have time this week :)

Also, we have been meeting some of our neighbors, and they have all been SO nice! Such a blessing!

It has begun...

2011-03-31T20:01:00.000-04:00

We did it.

We are homeowners :)

After about an hour of signing and initialing a LOT of papers, they handed us our 4 sets of keys! We headed home and Jake and Pappa (my father-in-law), went over to the house to begin working. They took a break (that ended up taking up most of the day) to go buy and pick up Jake's new truck. Now that we are moving off campus, we need a second car. Jake found an amazing deal and ended up getting a nicer truck than he had planned, a white Toyota Tacoma. I think he's pretty happy with it :)

It's finally ours!

We have owned this house since 10am this morning, and already most of the kitchen is gutted, all window trim is removed, and electrical work has begun. Also, our new kitchen cabinets have been ordered! Now that the house is ours, we finally get to start buying things for it! Hooray!

"Before" pictures will start coming soon :)

One Week

2011-03-24T16:26:00.000-04:00

One week from today we get the keys!

We will be homeowners!

I am so proud of how hard we have worked to save save save. And it has paid off. God has rewarded our hard work. He provided a perfect house for us. Well, it's not perfect yet, but it will be once we are done with it :)

I am also super thankful that God made it so clear to us that this was "the house" for us. Out of all the houses we looked at, we knew that this was the one. Even though at first, we dismissed it because of the outside appearance and its small size. But one week from right now, it will be ours! And that's when the hard work begins- remodeling.

After we close, I will start putting up all of our Before pictures. It is going to be a HUGE transformation. I can. not. wait.

Hooray for one more week of renting!

The tutu

2011-03-23T10:42:00.000-04:00

popcorn picnic!

2011-03-22T13:44:00.000-04:00

The other day was SO nice outside, so I decided it would be fun to have a little picnic! The kids loved it and had lots of fun. It was a bit windy, so we had to guard our popcorn so it wouldn't blow away!

What can I say?

2011-03-21T13:03:00.000-04:00

The boy loves dirt!

That's my boy! :)

loves.

2011-03-16T19:47:00.000-04:00

love them :)

2 weeks!

2011-03-11T14:37:00.000-05:00

We close in less than 3 weeks! Hooray!

Things are going pretty well so far. The assessment was done Monday and came back above our offer, which is great.

We did hit a snag in the insurance department. We tried to get set up with State Farm, who we have car insurance through, but it turns out they won't insure us until the roof is redone, but we can't redo the roof until we own it. And we can't get a mortgage without insurance. Hmmmm.... Doesn't make much sense does it? I guess the problem is that Jake is going to do the roof himself, and not have a contractor do it. But, Jake, being the amazing and thorough researcher he is, has found us a few places that will cover us, so now we just have to pick the best one! Thanks Jake! Then, after a few weeks and the roof is done, we can get set up with State Farm.

I have not started packing yet, even though I really want to. We aren't moving until May 21st-ish. So, we have a while still.

Jake and I have made great progress in picking out all sorts of things for the house:

-we have picked all paint colors for each room

- the kitchen is all designed and cabinets have been decided. We still have to pick a counter top.

- Siding and roofing have been picked out

- We are currently trying to decide which windows to go with

- we have picked general light fixtures, nothing specific, but we know what we want

- front and back doors have been picked

- we are researching pellet stoves and heat pumps

I am currently laying out all of the rooms in my head- where everything will go and how to set them up. We were thinking of getting bunks for Jonah's room, but I think they would be too big for the room. We might get new bunks for the girls room though, we'll see.

Despite the little snags we have been running into, I am super excited about everything still. I can't wait!

I think that's about it for now.

They are excited too :)

Kate's coloring adventure!

2011-03-04T19:53:00.000-05:00

When did my little baby become such a little girl?! Kate LOVES coloring, much like her big sister, and she does actually manage to color a picture in between the times I am telling her to stop trying to eat the crayon :) After she colors, she gets so proud of herself and wants to show off her artwork. It's adorable. My heart can't handle the cuteness :)

Happy Weekend!

Excitement

2011-02-23T21:14:00.000-05:00

So I am going to go ahead and say that the majority of my posts from now on are going to involve our new house. I apologize. But it's what is going to be taking up lots and lots of our time and money and thoughts.

On that note: we had the inspection yesterday and it went very well. We discovered a few things that are making us change our renovation plans, in a good way. Less to do right off the bat. Which is awesome.

Right now we are researching siding, insulation, kitchens, appliances, paint, hot water heaters, roofs and furnaces. Hmmm, did I forget anything? I hope not- that's a BIG list! I will admit that I am not really doing much of the research, Jake is. He's really good at it. I have had my mind on all of the little things like paint colors, arragement of furniture, decorating kids' rooms, and organzing.

There are so many things I am super excited about! A few of those things include:

- a dishwasher

- my own washer and dryer

- a closet in the bathroom!

- a laundry chute

- a fireplace

- pre-k soccer for Lily at the school 1 block away

- a bathtub!

I could seriously go on and on about the things I am psyched about. I know that it is going to be a lot of work fixing up this house, but I know it is going to be SO worth it!

Closing date: March 31st- can't wait!

Is it too soon to start packing? :)

We got it!

2011-02-21T07:54:00.000-05:00

Our offer was accepted!

Assuming all goes well, which it should, the house will be ours at the end of next month!

The inspection is tomorrow afternoon. We are already in full swing, figuring out all the work that we need to do, the things we need to buy, how much it's all going to cost and so on. Jake has been doing research like crazy. We already have the kitchen all planned out (along with our new appliances, including a dishwasher!!! I can't wait!) Jake is taking care of planning and researching everything regarding fixing up the house, while I am thinking more about where things will go, what colors the rooms should be, things like that.

Now, this is our first house, and I will admit that I am kind of clueless when it comes to decorating and picking colors and whatnot. If you have any advice, I would love to hear it!

And so our adventure begins :)

6:00pm

2011-02-19T12:25:00.000-05:00

By 6:00 tonight, we will know if we get the house or not!

Thanks for all the prayers!

I'll keep you posted :)

House???

2011-02-18T09:08:00.000-05:00

I am learning that if you are in the market for a house, things can happen fast. Really, really fast.

Jake and I aren't used to that. We are planners. We are researchers (okay, Jake is). We like to think about things, looks them over, research a lot, pray, and then come to a decision.

It doesn't really work like that when you are searching for a house. You could be waiting and waiting (like we have been), with no good houses coming on the market. Then one day, a house comes up on your listing. It looks kind of interesting. You do a drive-by. It looks okay, but you're not too sure. An hour later your realtor calls and says "Have you seen this house?! You need to go look at it now!" Okay, Okay. A few hours later (after some great outlet shopping in Kittery) you go look at the house. It is small and needs a lot of TLC (cosmetics) but its an awesome neighborhood. You can see the elementary school from the house. It's a great corner lot. It's in the exact neighborhood that you have been wanting. The house has lots of potential. Your realtor says this house will go fast, within 48-72 hours. Whoa. What to do?

Well, the house is in your price range. Low enough that you don't have to borrow the full amount you are pre-qualified for (awesome, right?!) and you would have enough savings left over to do the work that needs to be done (including a new kitchen with new appliances! Yay!). What to do?

Put in an offer. That night.

Real Estate can be crazy fast sometimes. But that's exactly what happened to us yesterday! And, we will find out sometime today, before 5pm, if our offer is accepted! This house is not a short sale, which is AWESOME, but it's moving so fast because it's an estate sale, which means that grandma died and the family just wants to get rid of it.

The house itself, the shell, is in great shape. Best one we've seen so far. The inside needs help. Take down wallpaper, paint, new windows, new kitchen, refinish floors, new electrical (SO thankful my father in law in a master electrician!), eventually a new roof. Thankfully this is all work that Jake knows how to do himself :) I love having such a handy man for a husband! And we are already talking about putting a second story on it in a few years, after we can save some $$$.

SO, we will find out today what's going to happen! It's all happening SO fast! We would be closing in just over a month- how crazy is that?! We would appreciate your prayers! If it doesn't work out, we know that God has something else in store for us, but if it does work out, then we are starting quite an adventure!

I'll keep you posted :)

Cupcake fun!

2011-02-15T13:40:00.000-05:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought it would be fun to bake something with the kids. When I saw these heart shaped tins, I thought cupcakes would be perfect.

Lily and Jonah "helped" me bake. Obviously, their favorite part was licking the beaters :)

They looked so cute when they came out of the oven!

Topped with homemade pink frosting. Delicious!

The finished product! They look good, but they tasted even better!

Truly a day of love: an entire counter filled with cards and treats from friends and family :)

Answered prayers

2011-02-08T14:26:00.000-05:00

God has definitely answered my prayers. We are searching for a house and I wanted to get some sort of job to help bring in some extra money, but I wasn't sure what kind of job I could get or how that would mesh with our schedule and my husband's job. I had mixed feelings about the whole thing and wasn't sure what to do.

But God answered our prayers and provided 2 different opportunities for me to bring in some extra money. I am now watching 8 month old Mason on Wednesdays and 2 1/2 year old Molly on Mondays and Thursdays. So far, it has worked out really well. M&M fit right in and play well with my kids. It's great because I still have my evenings free. And the best part is, I get paid to do what I'm already doing everyday- playing with my kids! And it will bring in an extra $700 a month! I love seeing our down payment GROW! Thank you God for providing these opportunities!

Jonah, 2 1/2

Enough snow already!

2011-02-02T13:22:00.000-05:00

This snow is getting a little ridiculous. We have had at least one BIG snowstorm every week since Christmas. I probably wouldn't think it was a big deal except that my husband is one of 2 in charge of all snow and ice related issues for the whole campus. When it snows, he is the first or second one to go in, no matter what time it is, not to mention snow prep and salting most evenings when everything freezes again. He has been working CRAZY overtime for the past 5 weeks- 70-80 hours weeks.

Now, I am SO grateful for all the $$$ he is making. Payday for all his overtime in January is on the 15th, and I will just say that with his overtime, plus our tax money we have coming, we will be able to add a TON to our down payment savings, which is awesome! So, I am not ungrateful for all this work he is doing, but it just sucks having him gone all the time.

Speaking of down payment, we are still searching for a house. We have a couple that we really like, but are a bit out of our range. So for now, we are keeping our eyes on them, seeing if the price drops at all, and putting any extra money into our ING down payment savings account. God has something in store for us, we are just trying to be patient! It sure is hard to be patient though... I can't wait to have a house with space, and a yard! And a laundry room! And one or two more bedrooms! One thing I am most excited about when we do have a house, is to have a room just for the adults. Right now, every room (all 3 of them!) has kids stuff in it. You have to go through my room to get to the kids room, so obviously, we have kids tromping around and getting into our things all the time. I can't wait to have my own room that I can decorate and not have to baby proof and can lock the door and just sit in the quiet. Our room will be off limits to the kids. Jake and I need a space that is just ours. The kids can take over the rest of the house! Ahhh, that will be so nice.

Anyway, we are snowed in right now, daddy is out plowing, I am waiting for Kate to fall asleep, Lily, Jonah and I are watching The Little Mermaid. Hopefully Jonah will actually take a nap in a little bit. Daddy told him that if he slept, he would take him for a ride in the loader! Jonah is very excited about that, but somehow it's still not enough to make him sleep....

Sweetest little face.

The kids having TONS of fun with sledding with Daddy last weekend!

Yes, those are bikes. All you can see: a little bit of the handlebars and the seat. We are a lot of snow here in Boston!

Happy Snow Day everyone!

It ends now.

2011-01-26T19:43:00.000-05:00

Isn't is funny how easy it is to say "I'm not going to be like my mother" before you have kids? Yeah, it's a different story once you do have kids. As much as I do not want to parent like my mom did, I find myself constantly repeating many of the same things with my own kids. And I hate that. I need to break away from that somehow, but I don't know how. Being raised a certain way, with parents that dealt with anger and frustration in different ways, along with being an only child with no close family, they only way I know how to deal with the anger and frustration that my kids make me feel, is the way my mom did. And that is NOT how I want to deal with my anger. My mom dealt with her anger, I feel, in many unhealthy ways. Yes, she was not ever afraid to say what she felt and she never left anything bottled up inside of her, as my dad always did, but her ways of letting that anger go were very damaging to me and I am still trying to figure out how to deal with effects it has left on me.
I am terrified that I will do the same thing to my own kids. I don't want them to feel a single ounce of the pain and hurt that I felt and still feel. I want them to feel safe, and secure, and happy and unconditionally loved and accepted by me. As much as they drive me completely crazy most days, I love them so much and am so grateful that God has blessed us with such amazing little people.
I wish so much that I had a mother figure to look up to. I miss my mother in law so much- I wish I could talk to her about parenting and life and have her reassurance that I am doing a good job raising her grand kids. She was the best mother in law anyone could ask for and I wish I had had more than just a couple of years as her daughter in law.
Often, my blog and facebook status comes across as negative. And it usually is, but that's only because I need a place to vent. I can't just call up my mom and tell her what a rotten day I had or get her advice or hear stories of how she dealt with me when I was a certain age. So, I need a place to vent a little bit. Despite what is may seem on facebook or my blog, the kids and I have lots of good times and I am not always a crazy mess of frustration. But it may appear that way based on the amount of venting I do.
How do I break the way I deal with my anger and frustrations, the ways that were drilled into me growing up, the only ways I have ever known? I need to change now. Lily is 4 and I do not want her to remember me yelling at her or going overboard or getting angry over nothing. I do not want to do anything or say anything that will scar my kids the way I have been. Words that were said to me in the past still haunt me and virtually break me. I know that I am going to mess up as a parent and I will make mistakes with each of my kids their whole lives. Everyone does. But I don't want it to be such a big mistake that it makes a lifelong impact on them. I know I am going to yell at them from time to time, I think it's impossible for any parent not to yell at their kids every now and then. But the frequency needs to change. The way I handle myself needs to change. I need to be the adult and act like the adult. I need to do it for me. I need to do it for my three kids.
My biggest fear, aside from losing Jake or one of my kids, is that I am going to emotionally scar my kids. And yet somehow, I fear that I am headed down that path. If I don't work on it now, it will snowball, and then another generation will have repeated itself. I am determined not to let the past repeat itself. It can't. It must end now.

Picking my battles

2011-01-24T09:19:00.000-05:00

This is something I need to work on. I think it will decrease the stress in my life.

Sometimes, okay most of the time, I don't pick my battles. I don't give in. And honestly, it's not always about whatever the kids are asking for, it's about whether or not they listen. I have a hard enough time getting them to listen and obey. It was about me being stubborn and wanting to get a point across. But, that doesn't always work with little kids...

But yesterday, I picked my battles. I let go and let the kids do more things that I may have said no to last week, but stuck to my guns on things that were important. And yesterday was a much more relaxing day. :)

Hoping to start the week of right, despite the ridiculously freezing temps outside and MORE snow coming this week. I am SO ready for spring!!

And here's a picture of my little cutie (14 months) :) There has to be a picture of at least one of the kids in each post!

and the search continues

2011-01-07T21:20:00.000-05:00

Well, we finally heard back from the bank, and the house we put an offer on isn't going to work out. We are a little bummed, but we know that God has something in store for us. So, our search continues and we are continuing to be patient and content with where we are now. We'll see what happens!

Jake is out salting to prepare for the upcoming snow we are getting tonight. I had a bit of a rough time getting the kids to bed. That made me frustrated because I had a really good day with the kids. I was really patient with them, and everything went really well today. It felt so nice. I am hoping that we can have a fun weekend together.

Our 5th anniversary is on Monday. I am excited to go out and celebrate. I'm not sure what we are doing yet, but it's always nice to have a date night!

Perspective

2011-01-05T14:12:00.000-05:00

I have been a grouch lately. I don't know what my problem is. Either I wake up grumpy, or the kids make me grumpy, and then my grumpiness rubs off on the kids.

I need to get motivated. I need some perspective. I need to spend more time praying. Sometimes I just get so caught up in life that I forget to take a step back and think about the things in life that really matter. So often, the things that I get caught up in are things that don't really matter at all. I've always had a problem with wanting "things" to fit in. It doesn't help that we live in a very wealthy area. But I really am blessed with so much and have so much to be thankful for.

Lord, give me perspective and help me to always be thankful for what you have blessed me with. Help me to be content.

One of my many blessings- a healthy and beautiful 13 month old :)

In the Snow!

2010-12-22T22:15:00.000-05:00

I took this picture of Jake and Kate today and I absolutely LOVE it! It was her first snowfall of the year and she loved playing in the snowflakes :)

I'm supposed to do what?!

2010-12-15T14:56:00.000-05:00

Find a job.

That's one of the things on my mind lately.

Do I want to?

Yes and No. I want to be able to actually afford a house, instead of drooling over houses we can only dream about. Right now the houses we can afford (on the North Shore of MA) are the ones that look like they need to be torn down immediately before the wind blows them over. Depressing.

It would also be nice to join the adult world again.

But that's what makes the thought of a job so scary to me. How am I supposed to spend 4 1/2 years surrounded by my babies- poop, spit-up, toys, potty training, cooking, more poop, cleaning, the list could go on FOREVER- and then suddenly have to jump into the adult world and be expected to act like an adult?? After becoming a mom, my social skills disappeared. I don't know what happened. Now I am awkward and uncomfortable and don't really know what to do with myself.

I am nervous that I won't be good at my new job (if I can even get one!). I didn't graduate college. I don't have a career to go back to. I still don't even know what I want to be when I grow up.

My husband thinks I should waitress. Definitely not on the top of my list.

I don't know what kind of evening job a 25 year old mommy of 3 can get besides working at Target (do you get a discount if you work there?? Maybe that would be a good choice! In the words of my 4 year old, "I wish we could live at Target!" HA!)

Any advice from you moms that have gone back to work after having kids??

(I am nervously biting my nails even writing this!!)