Gabriel's 3rd Birthday...

So my little man turned 3 on Saturday... I remember when he was born, it was such a hot summer all he wore was a diaper and undershirt. We would sit in the shade and watch Ava play with her bubble machine and a bucket of water...time does fly by!

Now he is playing with bubbles and running around and playing in the water.... It's the hardest job I've ever had..being a mom but never dull and always keeps me on the toes! It's soo amazing to watch him grow up. Here are some pictures from his birthday bbq.... he doesn't really have many little friends here..so it was just a small family birthday party..

Getting the candle on the cake...

BLLLOOOOOWWWW!

We TIRED to take a family picture.... but not as easy as it sounds with 3 kids... what is it going to be like with 4 kids??? Ha ha! We don't look very happy!

The kids with Nanny and Gumpy/Bumpy aka Grampy (a little side story behind his name... Ava couldn't say Grampy when we was learning how to talk so she called him Gumpy and still does!....and Gabriel couldn't say his name properly either and he calls him Bumpy! kids!)



After swimming in the pool...it was time for some refreshments...and playtime!
And the birthday day ending with having a picnic dinner...eating whatever he wanted .... watching his favorite movie CARS :]

Happy Birthday Gabriel Michael... we love you very much! xoxoxoxo

Death, Heat & Family..

A bit of a strange heading... but all these thoughts are running through my head right now... So Farrah Fawcett died today ~ soo sad! I remember watching a program (probably Entertainment Tonight) about her battle with cancer, all I could think about was my mom and it just made me more and more sad. Cancer is such a evil, hard to understand, hard to accept, just plain crazy illness... I just don't know how to describe it. It was just so heartbreaking to watch her battle because I remembered how hard it was to watch my mom go through so much pain. A very sad day indeed... I pray that Farrah is in a better place.

So I also heard today that Michael Jackson died --- WHAT??? I know totally crazy eh?? I'm still in shock really! I can't believe it. His life was sad too, all the troubles as a child and it followed him into adulthood -- again very sad :[

So I know not a very good segway (sp?)... but the heat has just been crazy here! Today had to be the hottest it's been yet this summer. It was sooo humid this morning, no wind...and I had a friend and her two children over.. oh and she is almost 30 weeks pregnant! So needless to say we were all very hot! So what else to you do when you think you are going to melt as you are standing on the deck?? Well jump in the pool of course! We had a great morning swim. The kids loved being in the water.. and well of course the two pregnant mommies really really loved being in the pool! We had a lovely simple egg salad/peanut butter and honey lunch (with other snacky of course!)... the girls did a floor puzzle and then my friend and her two children were on their way....

Family -- I just have to say I just absolutely love all that our new house has to offer. Watching our kids (and friends with kids) enjoying the play structure or the pool or the decks or just each others company. We truly truly feel blessed by God, he has been very gracious to us. For us to live where we live but mostly to share what we have with others really does just swell our hearts.

I already feel like this summer will be one of many memorable ones!

Last day of school..

Today is Ava's last day of JK... I'm soo sad for her! Sad that she will not see her little friends anymore..(sad that I won't see those sweet little girls anymore..I know all there names..maybe because I've been on all the school trips). Sad that she won't be going to 'school' anymore...sad that she won't ride a school bus..sad that she won't have a 'classroom'.... I'm just sad for her.


I will be homeschooling her in the fall, and we are totally certain that this is best for our family and that this is the path that God is leading us on... but Jay and I can't help but look at our past.. our school years..that's all we have to base it on!

I'm excited (and nervous!) to be homeschooling her in the fall. Excited that I will be teaching her. Excited that we will have the time to do more things together as a family. Excited that she will be home more. Excited that (hopefully) we meet more homeschooling families and their children. Excited that we will just become stronger as a family. Relieved that I can protect her .. maybe more... from teasing, mean kids, bullying and all that other 'fun' stuff you get in school when they are young.


I'm sad, excited, nervous, anxious and sooooo many other emotions for Ava... on her last day of school.


LET THE SUMMER BEGIN! :]

ok.. ok.. one more post :}

So here are just some random pictures of what we've been doing... School is coming to an end... Ava's school had a Fun Day.. and had face painting.. here is Miss. Ava with her face painted, she loved it and I just thought she looked super cute...so wanted to take some pics..

The kids wanted to have a camp out, bonfire and roast marshmallows.. it was rainy last weekend...so no sleeping in the tent outside but we did have a bonfire and roasted some marshmallows. Gabriel had a blast, he was getting a bit frustrated though because he would roast them too much and then they would fall off! Poor little guy! But it was a ton of fun... and more fun watching the kids! Enjoy....

Last picture... I just thought this was soo funny... the kids wanted to watch a movie before bed. So all the kids are bathed...sitting on the couch...and well here is the picture..

I really don't know why Ava is wearing her helmet (and her knee pads ~ but you can't see them in the picture!).. oh man kids really are funny!

Fathers Day 2009

So as you might be noticing... I'm catching up on my posts.... hope some enjoy reading a couple of posts and being in the loop of what we've been up to...

Fathers Day was fun... Ava made Jay a picture frame (and drew the picture too!)... and a card. Gabriel & Grace gave him a card.... they all gave him dress shorts (more fancier than regular shorts, they go to his knee and he can wear them to work with a button up top).... anyway.... so we all piled in on the bed and watched him open the gift and read the cards.

It's the simple moments that are the most fun... everyone in there pajamas having a blast (NOTE: no picture of me in my pj's ... no one needs to see that!! :])... so enjoy some pics I snapped....

... a bit of a late post... but worth the cute pictures...

My hump, My hump.. my lovely BABY bump ...

OK.... so I've FINALLY managed to get some pictures taken of my baby bump! Ok ok... so I'm ALOT behind on documenting this baby... my first tummy pictures are 21 weeks! *sigh* but I'm on it now! So here are some pictures of my lovely baby bump...... and I must say... my preggo outfits are super cute!!! I figure this is my last baby.. and my motto is 'go BIG or go HOME'....

Ok... this last one... I was really tired.. don't like the picture soo much as my cute outfit! :]

WHOA~ I'M 20 WEEKS! Half way there...!

So I just noticed when I was reading up on my week by week pregnancy progression on my fave website... that I'm at the beginning of my 21st week... which means.... I'M HALF WAY THERE! Holy Cow! Well I have to say the first 20 weeks have just flown by... and I hoping the next 20 weeks go quick too!


Don't get my wrong, it's not like I'm not happy about this pregnancy.. because I am.. WE are! I'm just excited to see this baby.. is it a boy? Is it a girl? We always agreed that we wouldn't find out the sex of our babies.. and to date we've always been surprised! I can honestly say when I was pregnant with Grace I was fairly certain I was carrying a girl. I couldn't explain why I knew.. I just KNEW! ... And low and behold - Grace Lilly was born!


So back to my anxiousness... I'm excited to meet this baby, but I've also found each pregnancy harder and harder. I know many factors can affect this 'condition'... I'm getting older ~ I had Ava when I was 29 and now with this baby I'll be 34 (I know, I know I HATE getting older *sigh* but who does like getting older? I don't know!). I've also had my babies very close together, all my babies are either 21 or 22 months apart. And baby #4 will certainly follow into this pattern as well! I'm due November 1st (although I do tend to go into labour early)... and Grace will be turning two years old Jan 15th, 2010 (HOLY COW ~ did I just type 2010???? I thought we would be driving in flying cars and have robot maids by now!!!! Sooo futuristic!!). So baby #4 and Grace will be approximately 22 months apart.


So my age, my babies have been born close together... and I just find it soo hard to sit still when I'm pregnant. It really hits home to me how much I CAN'T do while I'm pregnant ~ and that drives me NUTS! I get tired easily, cannot lift heavy things, no long hours in the garden or painting or doing anything else I like to do. Again, not that I'm complaining ~~ all these things are just adjustments for me.


I am starting to have this sense of completion in my heart - that my family is now whole ~ what we have 'everyone' we should. I truly feel blessed that God has given us this soon to be four beautiful babies! That He has intrusted us with their care and guidance. Jay will likely go for the 'procedure'... we've talked about it already... but I'm sure like most men it's not something they look forward to (but hey ~ do we women look forward to labour? "Yahhh I get to be in the most fieriest pain of my life!" ~ ahh no I don't think so!). So we will likely talk about it again when baby is here... otherwise I would be announces another pregnancy!!!


As for pictures of my baby bump - I STILL haven't taken pictures! I have to get on that!! And it's funny you know.. 'cause I would say with this pregnancy I look the best that I ever have!!! So I really should be documenting it!


Pictures to come! And WE ARE HALF WAY THERE ~~ YEEEAAAAH :)


Happy Monday ya'll :)