June tidbits

*we are done with school
*T-ball is officially over
*nevermind the pregnancy counter on the right
*no baby yet
*going to church in Mt. Pleasant
*no job leads
*Grandma Nina is now on hospice
*summer might actually have arrived
*Zoe turns 8 Wednesday
*Jack turns 2 next Monday
*preparing for Tuesday induction
*God has been continually good to us
*I am bigger with one baby than my sis-in-law w/ twins

Hello!

So. It's been a LONG while. We had a month respite in Texas with friends during April. We are now living in Mt. Pleasant with my parents til Joe finds a job. Right....no army. Just not quite desperate enough to have them own us yet. Maybe another day. Everything is going well, just a little hectic/busy. I'm helping with my grandma (who lives w/ my parents also). We're still finishing up school because of our time off for the trip. I've found a new OB (actually a midwife) in Midland and have my 2nd appt on the 20th. 3 1/2 weeks left!

Today is my baby shower up in Vanderbilt. Looking forward to a great time, seeing people I haven't seen in a month or two! I've been tired, and slightly overwhelmed at times, but life will get easier after school is out and I can finally breathe. (baby born)

All but Jack are playing t-ball. Third game was this morning. If I ever am able to upload pics faster again, I'll be wowing you with pics of the kids, vaction, baby shower, etc. Jack is all of 24 pounds at almost 2. He feels no pain....which could eventually be in his favor.

Anyway, keep us in your prayers for job, baby, school, church, etc. God is good!

Thursday

I just have a few tidbits to mention...no pics right now, but I'll be taking some.

We're in the midst of packing right now. Boxes are everywhere, not to mention laundry, trash, garage sale stuff... I'm having a difficult time deciding what to throw, keep, sell, and store. Thanks to my friends (and family...crystal) things are moving rather well. Being in my third trimester is not helping either. I have to be careful with the lifting and stuff. Get tired easier too.

Today is my 3rd doctor's appointment. Glucose tolerance day. Can't hardly wait... I'm going to bring a book! I am going to talk to them about my trip to TX for 3 weeks. My only consolation is they can't stop me! Just make me feel like a ball of dirt for endangering myself and my child....
So Melissa H? Have a hospital plan...Melissa C? If we make it that far, you can help me out. Next stop is my bro in Dallas, then on to SA where I've had a kid and know where to go! :) Not like I've EVER even gone into labor by myself... Anyway, just wanted to update. I'll get some pics out later. We've had great weather - in the 40's and 50's til today. Cold again w/ a high of 29. Possible snow. Tomorrow returns the heat wave! :)

OH yeah. Joe took his ASFAB's yesterday and scored in the 97th percentile. YAY! PTL...we were praying. That means he can probably get whichever job he'd like. Just wanted to brag a bit...I didn't know I married someone so smart!

Cat's out of the bag!

Well, it's official now. Yesterday, Joe resigned the pastorate here in Vanderbilt. He plans on joining the Army. You know, it sounds so simple to just write that.... We will be moving out in two weeks. The kids and I will live with my parents in Mt. Pleasant while Joe is in Basic Training. He is taking his ASFAB's on Wednesday. Not sure when his physical will be. Lord willing, those will go well and he will be enlisting the first of May. After these two whirlwind/packing/moving weeks, we will be heading to San Antonio for a 3-week R&R family vacation. Warm weather, the ocean, Sea World, the zoo....here we come!

Of course, there are downsides. Karis is due in June, right in the middle of Basic. Joe will be gone with no chance of return for the birth. We should be able to see him mid-July at his family day and graduation. If he gets the job he wants, his school will be in San Antonio for a year. We will probably move down there and stay with friends so we can see him on the weekends.

So...I'll try to post in the next couple weeks. Got alot to do. Changing dr's at 7 mo. is exciting.. :) I'll actually be skipping all April appointments. Don't tell on me. I figure if worse comes to worse, I've had a kid in San Antonio, and wouldn't mind doing it again! :)

Random pics

Jack loves to put on boots...any size, any time.

I guess this picture makes her real teeth look pretty good!

This is why it's so easy to have 4 kids. They do all the housework. :)

Marty was definitely not tired...but after all that housework and laundry....

This kid is TROUBLE. Can you tell?

Who needs a dog....

...when you have a toddler? This is Jack. He actually thinks he's a dog. He walks out onto the front porch, looks around, and barks at things that move. This kid is CRAZY! One of his favorite things to do is to play fetch. Here he is after I threw the ball. He runs, picks it up, and puts it in his mouth.

Then, he runs over to me with the ball-still in his mouth.

Sometimes, we play a little tug-of-war with the ball before he lets it drop in my lap. This literally can keep him busy for quite some time! :) Aren't kids great!?

No pictures, but...

plenty to laugh at! (but not at the moment) Seems like everyone has a little stinker... Well, mine struck today! He woke up at the crack of dawn and hit the floor running. Literally. Like zooming around the table, running into the couch, laughing, squealing....NON-STOP. I should have known then not to take my eyes off of him. I was sitting at the computer researching a good diet to prevent candida (yeah...use your imagination...fun stuff) when the REAL fun began. I heard Jack being a little too quiet (that will only make sense if you have a toddler) and went to check on him. Found him coming out of the bathroom...with a tube of toothpaste in his hand, opened and smeared all in his hair. I gotta tell you, the kid's hair smells pretty good, even now. I got that washed out, and maybe thirty minutes later, I heard "NO! JACK! NO!" from Zoe. So, I calmly walk into the kitchen. I guess the kid wanted some coffee. He moved the stool over to the counter and climbed up and grabbed the carafe. Poured out the coffee all over the counter, down the front of the dishwasher, and all over the floor. I guess I should be thankful that the auto shut-off had already happened and it was just warm. But I'm not. Don't you think he would have learned a lesson if he had burned his little fingers...just a teeny little bit?? I...dealt...with the situation, so hopefully he doesn't have to go through another spill and possibly a burn to figure it out. Anyway, the rest of the day has just faded into oblivion. Stuff happened, got done, meals were eaten, cleaned up, etc....I'm tired and looking forward to bedtime!

Oh well

Well, here it is. The sad puppy face because we haven't found a dog yet. Maybe we'll just have to wait awhile. Turns out they want between 200 and 300 bucks for a dog from the shelter! Does that sound insane to anyone else? We could buy a dog with papers for that! The poodle would have been doable, but I emailed them on Monday and they didn't get back with me til Thursday and just said to call them Friday. I called and the poodle was already adopted! :( The JRT sounded the best fit for our family, but we just couldn't see dropping so much cash when we would still have to buy all the stuff you need for a dog! I guess we'll be watching the parking lot sales this summer...wish us luck!

Crazy...

Last night at AWANA, the kids participated in crazy hair night. And let me tell you, they looked crazy. A bath was the first order of business after we got home!

Crazy Hair Joseph...

Crazy Hair Zoe...

And Crazy Hair Maranda. (my sis-in-law)

Happy Valentine's Day

...a little early!

So, what are your plans for Valentine's Day? Whether big or small, let me know! Maybe I'm just curious, maybe I'm just looking for comments... :)

I'm posting this today because we are heading downstate Friday morning for the weekend. I won't be able to post while there, and I wanted to "catch the spirit" from you all. We will be dropping off the oldest 3 at my mom's classroom to have a little V-Day party with them! Later that night, they will be going to the little party/dance that her school puts on! Fun! They're very excited about going to Grandma's anyway, but this HEAPS on the excitement! On Saturday, Joe and I may go and look at a couple dogs. (the kids would always remember that valentine...) Later, we will stay with the kids and Great-Grandma so mom and dad can go out. When they get back, it's our turn! YAY! Not sure where we're going...probably just dinner because we have to leave Mt. P by 6 or 7 Saturday night. But we're REALLY looking forward to it!

Don't forget to leave your plans! Even if you NEVER comment.....Jen!