Happy 4th!

Happy 4th everyone! I hope you all had a great day with your family and friends. We had a good day together. We painted faces, put blue gel in the boys hair, took lots of pics, ate lots of good food (which I'll have to burn off later!) :) We grilled kabobs on the grill that were so yummy! Had pasta salad, baked beans, yummy watermelon and homemade ice cream! Then we went to see the fireworks. The kids had so much fun! They got to sit on top of the van to watch. All of them were asleep in the car when we got home, but it was worth it. Since I've had face book, I feel like I'm repeating myself with my posts, since I put pics on both places, but I do it for the friends I have on only one place or the other.

I first had to post a pic of the pretty flowers my mom and dad sent me for my birthday. They are so pretty! With my favorite flower the Lily! So pretty thank you!

Dad and Lily

Jacob on Yoda

Ethan teaching Jacob how to play with action figures

Ethan said I never hold him any more, so there ya go!

My great artistic ability in painting a flag on the kids faces.

Kind of corny, but cute

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Getting ready to see the fireworks!

Mom and Jacob

She was so excited!!!

Call me mean!

Ashton has said the "s" word a couple times lately. He's not using it in a correct context; however, he's still saying it. Finally I had enough and made him hold soap in his mouth! He hasn't said it since. We're not sure if he's heard it on t.v. or where, but hopefully this won't be a reoccurring theme! I had to take pictures of him, it was too comical to pass up! Do you think I'm mean?

Stuff

Darren's job for dinner was to shuck the corn. He quickly figured out how to get the job done faster. He enlisted the help of the kids and their friends.

Our giant pool that we had installed in our back yard a week ago. It's been a big hit with the kids. It broke the bank account, but well worth it! ;) ha ha ha!

Jacob is quickly realizing how "cool" the computer is. He's taking after his brothers quickly by being interested in what Dad is doing on the computer.

Nervous

I find myself on the eve of being 30, slightly nervous and slightly excited. As I look back, I'm so grateful to be where I am and to have learned all I have thus far. I definitely don't want to go back, but I still can't believe I'm already 30! Life goes by so quickly. It's amazing the journey we go on, and all that we learn on the way. I find my self sometimes wishing I could "re-do" things, but I know there is no turning back, it's always going forward. Time waits for no one. I almost feel like I'm opening a new chapter in my life. I've had our last child, and now it's on to raising all 4 as best as we can. I feel like I finally am able to put a little more attention on my self now. I've spent the last 8 years, being pregnant, changing diapers, feeding babies, and caring for these precious little spirits. Of course the work is not stopping, far from it, I have a 3 month old. But I feel like things are changing in me, and I can now start putting a little more effort on me, and getting back to being who I am and who I want to be. Some times we get lost in the shuffle of mom mode, but I wouldn't trade that for anything. My children are my everything and my all. I'm am so lucky to have the family I have, the husband I have and my life. I am so blessed. I'm so thankful at this point in my life. I'm just rambling, but had to write some thoughts down.
I always thought my birthday was the best birthday in the world, for one, it's on the 1st day of the best month, and it's so close to the 4th. When I was little, I thought the fireworks were for me! :)

"Bruiser"

Our friends in Texas used to call Ashton "bruiser". Why? Because not a day would go by that he wouldn't fall, trip, or run right into something. The kid will spill it, he will trip over it, and he will run into what ever may be in his path. My friends even entertained the idea of getting him bubble wrap for his birthday, so he could just wrap himself in it. Not a bad idea. So this recent "occurrence" isn't surprising to us, but slightly comical after the fact. (poor kid).
Ethan and Ashton were outside playing with the neighborhood kids and they were playing some sort of game where you were supposed to be spinning with your eyes closed. Well they had stopped playing the game and Ashton wasn't aware, so he just kept spinning with his eyes closed. Then they said he could stop, and he did stop spinning, but he kept his eyes closed. He was really trying to "be cool" and follow their rules. So then he started running, (again, keep in mind his eyes are closed) and he runs full speed into a tree face first. Poor kid was so upset, he kept saying, "but I kept my eye's closed!" I told him not to play that game and that he needed all the help he could get with his eyes open! Luckily it's healing up fast. And the pictures actually don't give the "boo-boo" justice. It was Nasty!!!! Poor kid. Gotta love him though.

Ethan with Jacob. Had to include it, was too cute not too!

{*Ode to my Hubby*}

I'm posting this late, but better late than never.

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to my husband. He is a phenomenal man. A diamond in the rough. He is a quiet leader, a gentle giant, and a true follower of God. I love him so much! He has helped me create 4 beautiful children, who I love more than life it's self. He devotes his life to making sure we are cared for. His children just adore and idolize him. They think he is "so cool!" and "so strong". It's amazing the light they get in their eyes when he comes through the door every evening. He is working so hard at work right now, he also just started going back to school, and he's the young men's president at church. His plate is FULL needless to say, but despite all of that and as tired as he always is, he always makes time for his kiddos. He reads the kids a story every night up in their beds, and he's never too tired to wrestle with the boys. I love you honey, I'm grateful for all you are and all you do for our family! Happy Fathers Day!

Also, when I asked him what he wanted for fathers day dinner, his reply was a "grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich". How non-high maintenance is he? If any of you have not tried this, you have to! It's something we only eat about twice a year, cause as you might guess, it's not the healthiest thing to eat, but it's sure good! You basically make your normal pb&j sandwich, but then you slather the outside with butter and then grill it in the skillet like a grilled cheese sandwich! The jelly and peanut butter get all hot and gooey! It's sinfully good! Thanks grandpa Steve for the idea!

*{Random-ness}*

Here's just a bunch of odds and ends. Nothing much!


My 3 sons



Lily holding "her best friend" Jacob.

So cute

It's amazing how a simple Sunday activity of coloring at the table with markers on paper, turns into face painting. All the kids were really quiet and then ran outside quickly. When I went to check on them, I found them looking like this. I made them sit down and pose before they had to scrub their faces off. Luckily it came off fairly easy. Silly kids. Would rather draw on anything BUT paper.

{No words to describe this one!}

So tonight for dinner, I totally dropped the ball. But I guess us mom's are given a "freebie" once in a while right? It was basically a night where I said, "Kids what do you want to eat?" Each one says a different thing. I fixed Ethan a ham, lettuce, tomato sandwich (his favorite), I fixed Ashton a PB&J (his favorite) and little miss independent Lily went about getting her own food. When I was done feeding the baby I realized what Lily had gotten herself to eat. Are you ready for this?
She had gotten turkey lunch meat out of the fridge about 3 slices, and a bowl full of rice crispies cereal. She would take the sliced lunch meat, lay it out, put a handful of rice crispies in the middle and roll it up and eat it. That is the most interesting food combo I've ever seen in my life. Let's just say I'll hate to see what her cravings are when she is a grown married woman and pregnant! So funny!

I loved this. Had to share!

Two young boys walked into a pharmacy one day, picked out a box of tampons and proceeded to the checkout counter. The man at the counter asked the older boy, 'Son, how old are you?''Eight', the boy replied.The man continued, 'Do you know what these are used for?'The boy replied, 'Not exactly, but they aren't for me. They're for him.. He's my brother. He's four. We saw on TV that if you use these, you would be able to swim, play tennis and ride a bike.Right now, he can't do none of those'.

My "Chitlins"

A few shots of just random nothing-ness.

This is where I found Lily, right before dinner I might add. She was eating hershey's syrup straight.


Sweet Picture


Hanging out in the swing





What's so funny?


Cutie

I love this boy! I am amazed at the capacity of love we're given from God to love each of these special kids. They are all such true gifts from God that I'm so thankful for! There is nothing on this earth that I could say for a surety that I'd die for, except my children.

So EXCITED!!!!!!!!

HAVING TO WAIT TILL NOVEMBER IS GOING TO BE SO HARD!!!!!