Happy Birthday Lydia!

So it was a year ago that I started this blog because one of my first posts was of Lydia's birthday. Time flies, doesn't it? Well, it was Lydia's birthday again, but instead of doing a huge luau for her and all of her friends this year, we decided to let her take ONE friend to Chick-fil-a. We ate lunch and brought them home for cake and ice cream. It was low key and relaxing (except for the unbearable heat) and I had no messes or decorations or party favors or anything and she didn't even know the difference.
Lydia has grown up and matured so much in the last year. She's a whopping 5 now and is starting kindergarten in the fall. Lydia loves to sing, play with her bunny, play outside, pick flowers, learn about medical "stuff," swim, take baths and eat ice cream and popsicles. She is such an awesome big sister to Kate and is so excited to have a little baby brother soon. Lydia is going to be such a great help to us when the baby comes. She can't wait! We love you, Lydia. We love your sweetness, sincerity, love of the gospel, and willingness to help.

Happy Birthday 'Leeya!'

Nesting

So, just in case you've been wondering where I have been (i.e. not posting on my blog), these are the things that I've been doing:

Making homemade strawberry freezer jam:

Finishing this quilt (and not liking the colors, so. . . .):

Working on another quilt:

Mopping the kitchen floor (a major feat for me):

Painting the man child's room:

Growing a man child in my womb (he looks a little squished in there, don't ya think?):

Let me tell ya, I got to see his "parts" and he's DEFINITELY a BOY!!! Yeah! (I always worry they were wrong or something).

Our trip to the beach

Cape May, New Jersey
COLD water Lots of sand
Giggles Screams Crabs
Lots of seashells Family Cousins
Rain Sun Wind Clouds, clouds and more clouds
BBQ Tacos Cold Cereal
Talking Laziness Naps
Snoring UNO Laughter
Ferry Sea sickness (Derrel) Dolphins
Brownies Ice Cream
Chick Flicks Kids movies

Planes, trains and automobiles

A few weeks ago, I flew myself out to Kansas City to be at my Dad's surprise 60th Birthday Bash that my step-mom planned. While I was staying there, we gave the man child his first ride in a cool sports car. I LOVE this car. It's my dad's and it's a 1964 (I think) replica of a Shelby Cobra. It is fast and so fun to ride in (except when your REALLY pregnant). It was still really fun and the baby LOVED it, especially when my dad revved up the engine. Check us out:

Who am I?

I thought this was pretty cute. Try it out!

1. Your rock star name: Jim Vanny
(first pet, current car) I didn't have a pet...

2. Your gangsta name: Napoleon Thong
(favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe) I've always call Neopolitan Napoleon (it's much easier to say)

3. Your Detective name: Orange Kitten
(favorite color, favorite animal)

4. Your soap opera name: Susan Kansas City
(middle name, city where you were born)

5. Your Star Wars name: Walki
(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name)

6. Superhero name: Blue Lemon Water
(2nd favorite color, favorite drink)

7. NASCAR name: Alvin Harold
(the first names of your grandfathers)

8. TV weather anchor name: Reynolds Raleigh
(your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)

9. Spy name: Autumn Tulip
(your favorite season/holiday, flower)

10. Cartoon name: Melon Tee
(favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now)

11. Hippie name: Cheerio Dogwood
(what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)

12. Witness Protection Name: Louise Warren
(mother’s & father’s middle names )

13. Your Rockstar Tour Name: The Painting Thunder Tour
(”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)

Trampoline

So, we decided to buy something that I swore I'd never buy for my children. A TRAMPOLINE!! And I swore up and down that those silly lookin' nets for it were even worse lookin' than the trampoline itself. Well, lo and behold, we succumbed to my children's LOVE of trampolines and bought one. It has literally been heaven itself come down for my two girls. With spring and warm weather here, there isn't a day (unless it's really cold and rainy) that they don't get on the thing. I LOVE IT and it gets in a little exercise!

Hospital

I hate to admit that I wish it were me going to the hospital to have a baby (which would be horrible at 32 weeks) but it wasn't me this time. Kate was really getting sick since Sunday. She was wheezing and breathing really fast with a fever. We called her doctor after hours and she said to take her into the ER just to be safe. Derrel and I debated for a few minutes who should go and I decided that I should take it for the team. He is in such a hard time at school right now, it wouldn't be good for him to get behind in his sleep. So at 12:30 in the morning, I went to the hospital with Kate. They gave her a breathing treatment and took a chest x-ray. She has acute bronchitis and the doctor said that it always could be a little of RSV but we didn't want to put an IV in her to do lab work. So we need a little rest and relaxation around here I guess. It just surprises me because the weather has been so nice. But it is all of a sudden really cold and wet. Well, she's doing a little better now. I'm sure she'll be just fine soon enough! She's a tough one and she likes to play with Lydia too much to be sick.

Spring Fun

Lydia was dying to have corn on the cob last night for dinner. She practically begged me if she could help shuck (sp?) it. So we were shucking away and suddenly she said, "Mom, I LOVE shuckin' carn," with the funniest West Virginia accent I've ever heard! West Virginia is rubbing off on her, I guess. It was so hilarious. After that, and after me busting out laughing, she said, "Oh, I guess I forgot how to say corn." It was really funny. She was so proud of her shucked corn.

I love Lydia and I LOVE springtime when we can be outside instead of inside! Here's a picture of the leaves on one of the trees in our backyard and some of our flowers. I've never been so happy to see a green leaf in my life=). YEAH for spring. I'm so excited! Do you like my dandelions in the garden? It gives it a more wild touch.

The girls come up with so many ideas to make the hills on our yard advantageous to their play. Here is the latest:

White Coat Ceremony and Birthday

Derrel had his White Coat Ceremony at WVU. This is supposedly the second most important ceremony of Medical School besides graduation. I was actually teary eyed the whole time. I don't know if it was pregnancy emotions or emotions that my little man is growing up =) and turning into a real doctor sometime real soon (wink, wink). The only problem is that in my frenzy to leave and get to the ceremony on time, I forgot my camera. Hmmm- someone must be pregnant. Here he is at home with his white coat on:

Doesn't he look like a real doctor? (But real doctors wear longer coats. That's how you can tell they are residents).

It was also Derrel's birthday (sorry so late babe, I'm a little behind). He is amazing and I want the whole world to know that. He juggles being the best dad in the world, best husband and excellent medical school all at the same time, all while being executive secretary and building coordinator for both wards in Morgantown AND Scout Committee Chairman (or whatever you call the position). He's pretty much MR. INCREDIBLE. I love this man so incredibly much.

He is almost done with all school bookwork and classes in med school on May 12th. We are counting down the days! He does take the 1st round of the board exam 3 days before my due date. We counting down the days until I deliver this monster of a baby in my belly. I don't know if it's because it's a BOY or because it's my 3rd pregnancy but I am becoming some sort of species of whale or cow or something to that effect. I might get the guts up to post a picture of myself but until then, this will have to suffice:

Family Vacation

Well, we took quite a vacation for Derrel's Spring Break. We drove through 13 states!!! We had SO much fun and the driving went by quickly without any meltdowns or bad weather.
First, we stopped by the Ernstroms'(friends from Utah). We stayed with them for one night in St. Louis. The next day we traveled on the Kansas City where Kim's Dad and step Mom live. We stayed there for 4 VERY enjoyable days. We went and visited both sets of Kim's grandparents. It was so much fun. Dad and Cyndee took extra great care of us while we were there. The girls LOVED getting to know so much family (now that they can remember them).
Next, we were off to Monroe, Louisiana for 4 days. Derrel's oldest sister lives there. The girls had so much fun with their cousins. They went on a paddle boat, fishing, jumped on the trampoline, played a lot of dress-up and horses, Derrel went jet skiing, we talked and had so much fun! Derrel, Kim, Lori and Ted also took a really fun day trip to Vicksburg, Mississippi. We went to dinner and learned more history about the Civil War.
Then, we drove to Nashville, TN where we stayed with another of Derrel's sisters. We only had a day there but managed to tour an old civil war house that was turned into a hospital during the war. It was so interesting. We are glad to be home and be with old friends and in our house but we had a BLAST!!! Here are some pictures of our trip. Enjoy!

No nap? Go figure. . . .

This is what happens when Kate doesn't get a nap. You'll notice that, at times, I am laughing uncontrollably while trying to hold the camera still. Doesn't really work that well. You'll also notice that throughout her "sleep" she still manages to get a few bites in.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I've been tagged

The Rules: Each player answers the questions about themselves, at the end of the post the player tags 4 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they are tagged! Good times!

Where I was 10 years ago:
Ten years ago, I was 2 months from graduating from High School (yes, I'm not STILL in HS like most strangers think).

5 things on my "to do list" today:
1. Clean the "craft room" for the new "baby room."
2. Make pizza for dinner (a new Friday tradition).
3. Go to Derrel's White Coat Ceremony.
4. Shower (and that definitely makes the TO DO list!)
5. Well, I guess I already accomplished one thing on my to do list: do the dishes!

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Finish remodeling my house and sell it.
Go on a cruise to Hawaii.
Uhhmm. . . .
Get out of debt! =)
Buy a new car. . .
I could go on and on and on.

3 of my bad habits:
1. Throwing all of my clothes all over the floor before I go to bed because I'm lazy.
2. Not making dinner ;) (I am getting a little better since I don't have morning sickness anymore)
3. Definitely the way I eat, especially the last 4 weeks of pregnancy since I haven't been sick.

5 places I have lived:
Kansas City, MO
Houston, TX
Provo and Orem, UT
Voronezh, Russia
Visalia, CA
Morgantown, WV
(I guess that's 6)

5 jobs that I have had: OK, this is the place I really SHINE=) and it's more than 5!!

Cake decorator/cookie giver awayer (at a grocery store bakery)
Waitress (The Original Pasta Co.)
Janitor (BYU) twice, one early morning
Door-to-door sales (selling books in Wisconsin)
Pizza delivery girl (and boy did I get better tips than the men that delivered!)
Receptionist (Cubco Doors Co.)
Nanny (for two ridiculously ornery and spoiled girls)
Nanny again for a little boy named Sam
Secretary (Center for HS studies)
Dental Assistant
Pampered Chef consultant
Wife
Mother

Something most people don't know about me:
My life is an open book. Is there anything people really don't know about me? Hmmm. I played the violin for 4 years until HS when I was "too cool" to play anymore. I went to a regional track meet in HS for shotput. I had to compete against some BIG MOMMA girls, too. I lived in Russia for 4 months.

OK, I am tagging: Jami, Mary, Amy (my sister) and Annie (my sister). GO FOR IT!

Plain Old Vanilla

So I took a little quiz to see what flavor of ice cream I am. I'm just plain old vanilla! How boring is that? But you sure can put a lot with vanilla;) What are you?

There was a little house in the middle of the wood. . . . .

Lydia is our little singer. Here's one of our family favorites.

Introducing. . . . . . . . .

. . . . Our Man Child.
Yes, that's right. We will finally have a little more testosterone in our house. Doesn't he have great legs? We are SO very excited to embark on the world of boys (now that we've "mastered" the girls. . . just kidding).
I don't know if ANYONE can ever master the girl thing. You just take each emotional day, one at a time and hope you're doing it right, am I right?