Blessed with Boys

Here are just a few of my favorites from our photo shoot with Stacey Rygh

Enjoy!

        

A Stream of Trouble

There are many moments we experience as a parent.

Times when you overhear adorable comments from your little ones as they are playing in the other room.

Times when your day is falling to pieces and they tell you

 how beautiful you are or that you are the best mom ever!

Times when you catch them doing something nice for someone else, or exhibiting exquisite manners for an audience of strangers who in turn believe your children to be angels.

Times when you witness such horrendous behavior that you wish you could join the 

gawking bystanders instead of gathering the monster that has replaced your child who is now on the floor of target throwing a tantrum because you won't allow him to have a cookie at 9am.

Or when your children run down aisles at the store behaving like barbarians and you shake your head in disgust with the other shoppers when they ask who's kids are those, but quickly run around the corner to the next aisle to meet them and scold them in secret. 

(Not that I know what that is like or have ever done that)

Then there are moments when you witness your child doing something so unlike them or so inappropriate that your jaw may be touching the floor and no words can escape your mouth that are able to be heard by little ears.

I had one of those moments Sunday with my 6 year old!

It was a beautiful, sunny day and we were at a graduation party for one of Richard's runners at a hotel in town.  We had been able to congratulate the graduate, enjoy some of the delicious food, and escape before leaving to many crumbs on the floor or eating too many sweets. 

Richard and I had sent the older 2 boys outside to head towards the van

 and we were only a few minutes behind them. 

When I walked outside I didn't see either of the big boys and after calling their name Elijah came running around the corner of the hotel.

I asked where Jonah was and he very nonchalantly said, "Peeing."

As my stomach churned a little I asked where, and Elijah promptly replied, "over there."

Sure enough.

I took a few more steps and found my 6 year old son peeing on the front of the hotel!
(insert jaw drop and steam out of ears)

Other than the distinct peeing stance and a wet stream in front of him, one may not have known what he was doing.

I was so shocked I couldn't even speak.

Fortunately he had been smart enough to do this in the corner slightly hidden from the view of any poor innocent guests and I am pretty sure only our family witnessed this event.

After using both his names and dragging him to the car, I was still in shock.

After sharing with Jonah my extreme disappoint in his poor choice for a place to "relieve himself", he proceeded to say he only did it because he was going to wet his pants.

Since Richard and I weren't born yesterday, and we had all walked right past the bathroom in the hotel lobby not minutes before he "emergently" had to go, this defense failed to stand up in the courtroom of our car.

I told him his dad and I would decide on a punishment and I continued to share my disbelief with Richard that the event had actually occurred!

Richard smiled and found the event slightly amusing despite the circumstances.

I suppose laughing about it did release a little tension that I had been building up as I replayed the mortifying scene in my head.

Richard also reminded me that no one else probably saw the incident.
(Trying to look at the positives of the situation)

Then Jonah pipes in from the backseat, "at least I didn't pull my pants all the way down."

For some reason that was the last straw and Richard and I both began silently laughing and couldn't stop.

Then Richard looked over smiling and asked if I was going to blog about it.

I decided I must.  This blog is about the adventures of our lives and despite this one being one I would rather erase, it is deserving of a post!


While I thought Jonah's punishment should be scrubbing the toilets at home and the floor in front of them, Richard decided that sitting next to him at the next graduation party for 30 minutes while we chatted with others instead of playing wii with the other kids was punishment enough.


As we drove home I silently prayed to the Lord for a daughter.


Girls don't pee on hotels right?

I am sure they never do anything wrong.
 Sugar and Spice and everything nice, isn't that what little girls are made of?


However, if any little girl was going to pee on a hotel,
it would probably be the little girl with 3 big brothers.

I will just pray for a good listener instead.

Family Pictures

We had our pictures taken Sunday by my talented friend Stacey Rygh.

Bless her heart as she was very patient with us and we had to reschedule multiple times due to illnesses, cruddy weather, and such.

These were supposed to be Isaac's one year pictures.

He is now almost 15 months old. 

Oh well, not too bad for the third kid I think.

Plus I did try to do it multiple times before and it just wasn't going to happen.

Finally it was a beautiful day on Sunday, perfect for pictures. 

I think they went very well and I was excited to see how they turned out. 

I love how Stacey is able to truly capture our personalities just so. 

Thanks again Stacey!

I will be posting some on here when I get the CD, 

but until then you can enjoy a sneak peek at her website.  

Dont' forget to click back at the older posts to see more too!

They are all probably going to be my favorite, but Elijah was pretty thrilled that she captured his "super moves on the swing" and thinks we should blow that one up and put it on the wall in the living room.

I told him I would definitely put that one up.

He wanted it to cover the whole wall. 

Love that kid.

I am such a sentimental fool that I teared up looking at them all. 

I am sure blessed.

May have to change my blog to Blessed with Boys.

Unless I suppose this 4th little one is in fact a girl and then I would have to reconsider.

Either way I am one lucky lady to be living with all these boys (and 1 man).

So Big!

Isaac is getting so big and has started to lose his baby look and is becoming so grown up.

This is hard for me. 

I am savoring every baby moment I get until #4 arrives.

He is still so sweet and at almost 15 months is frequently mistaken as a 2 year old since he is so tall.

I bought an infant swing for our swing set and he has really been enjoying the "wing" as he calls it!

He is trying to grab my phone here as I take a picture.

He has started talking more and it is sure fun to watch him learning new words and trying to use them.

He will say ready, hurray, up, and nigh (for nice).

He signs more, please and thank you. 

Every animal says "wooo  woooo woooo" in a deep voice. 

He is trying to bark like a dog when he says it.

We are working on learning some more.

 If he is getting hungry and I ask him if he would like a snack or lunch, etc he will stop fussing, run to the kitchen and sit on the floor and put his hands in his lap and smile.

He has been more and more territorial when I am resting on the couch fighting the nausea that still accompanies most days.  If either one of his big brothers comes and tries to snuggle he is quick to fuss at them and climb right over them until he is laying on top of me.

He LOVES to be outside and going for stroller rides/walks.

He also often will "sing" songs as he plays or looks out the window.

He loves the itsy bitsy spider and has been doing the actions. 

I am working on getting it on video so I can post it because it is ADORABLE, but every time I get the camera out he instantly stops and wants to just see himself.

He also seems to have inherited his father's routine genes.

He likes to put certain things back where they belong 

(pillows on the couch, coasters on a certain end table, etc).  

He really enjoys nap and bed time and will patiently wait for his bottle to finish warming up, run into his room and turn on his fan and then climb up into the rocking chair and clap as you get ready to give him the bottle.  Sometimes he even grabs his blanket off the crib on the way by. 

He also will go and get kisses from everyone before he goes to bed.  He starts with his big brothers and then whichever parent isn't laying him down. So sweet!

He still is sleeping great and most nights we don't hear from him until the morning.  Or if we do he will let Richard give him his pacifier and he will go back to sleep for a bit longer.

He LOVES bananas and has at least one almost every morning for breakfast.

He has also started fussing a little when he gets hurt and will come to me holding out whatever body part was injured and as soon as I acknowledge it he is fine and runs away!

He is wanting to "play" with his brothers more which has caused a few conflicts, but we are working on it.  He also seems to enjoy independently playing on his own (like Elijah did as a small child). 

If I try to play with him he sometimes gets frustrated and wants to just do his own thing for a bit. 

However, if I am helping Elijah build something or playing superheroes with him and we are sitting on the floor, Isaac will climb in my lap facing me and pull my face close to his and say "mmmmm ma ma ma ma" and won't let go!

Elijah doesn't appreciate this too much and tries to tell Isaac to "shoo" so we can keep playing.

It is pretty fun to see his face light up when Richard comes home.

He runs to the front window or door and repeats, "my dada" over and over until he gets inside.

He also gets pretty excited when we pick Jonah up from school each day. 

It is hard to believe he is already almost 15 months old and even harder to believe he is becoming a toddler and isn't my baby anymore!

Wondering what he will think when my belly comes between us!

Guess we will find out before too long.

Mother's Day Surprise!

I have been feeling so blessed as I reflect on the joy of Motherhood.

Wow! I have 3 beautiful, healthy, wonderful boys and 1 more sweet baby on the way.

I have an amazing husband who encourages, supports, and keeps me going when I don't think I can do it after a rough mommy day.

I have my own fabulous Mother who lives just a few minutes away and I can't imagine life without.

I have a great Mother-in-law who did a wonderful job raising the man I call my husband.

I spent the weekend of Mother's Day working and was overwhelmed by the way all my boys made me feel so special despite only seeing me for a few hours on Mother's Day.

After school on Friday Jonah presented me with a gift he had made at school.

His proud, beaming smile was priceless as he handed this to me...

He wanted me to open it right then so I did and this is what I found...

Homemade stationary!

He said I could use it to write "notes" to my friends. (Something I love to do)

Isn't that precious?

After working all night Saturday night I came home Sunday morning to hugs and kisses at the door and waffles ready to be devoured. 

Yum!

Before I headed to bed for the day, Richard told me they had a surprise for me but I couldn't have it until I woke up.

I was quite curious, but had no idea I would wake up to all 4 of my boys planting flowers for me!

(Our camera is MIA so I didn't get a pic of them all working hard planting, but it brought tears to my eyes for sure!

They planted flowers around our light pole in the front yard...

Hung a planter by the front door...

Put another one by the front door...

The purple flower pots were hand decorated by Jonah and Elijah and the 3 individual flowers are from each boy (Grandma Teresa helped them plant them)

This picture is from my cell phone so it's hard to see, but isn't it nice?

They also hung a hummingbird feeder from the archway in the above picture to the left.

I had prepped the boys a few days before and told them to ask daddy to get me a flower for Mother's Day.  I was hoping for a single tulip or daisy. 

What a perfect Mother's Day surprise!!!!!!

I know how much work it is to haul all 3 kiddos anywhere let alone to buy flowers, then to plant them!

Thank you boys!!!!

They also said they wanted to buy a tree for the backyard for Mother's Day, but that I could help pick it out.  I feel like one special Momma!

We were also able to squeeze in a fast supper at the Blue Moose 

before I headed off to work for the night.  

I didn't get a picture of all 3 boys and myself, but hoping to this weekend. 

Thank you so much boys for the wonderful surprise!

 I love you all and am so thankful to be your Mommy/Wife!

The Mom Book

How often do you dream about a special day that is coming (Valentine's Day, your birthday, Mother's Day, etc) and plan out the "perfect day" in your mind?

Then you proceed to send your hubby subliminal messages while he is away.

Or you whisper ideas into his ear while he is snoring?

Then somehow he doesn't receive the message and the "perfect day" happens a different way. 

Now, don't get me wrong. Different isn't bad, wrong or disappointing, but I have learned an amazing truth about my husband over the past almost 8 years of marriage. 

Ready for this...he CAN'T read my mind!

Shocker huh? Maybe yours can. Good for you. Probably you shouldn't tell anyone else.

I do have an amazing hubby, and despite his minor flaws I am only more and more aware at how blessed I am to be his wife as the years go by. 

More humbled than words that God brought us together. 

So, I am helping him out a bit this year. 

Starting a new tradition.

The Mom Book.

I must admit that I did not create this idea, but borrowed it from a magazine that comes to my house. 

A few weeks ago, during my 5 minutes of free time, I was perusing Real Simple magazine I came across this article and couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it myself!

Jacquelyn Mitchard shares how her family gives her the best gift every year.

They draw a picture, write a poem, a letter, or share a sweet story for their mom filling the blank pages of The Mom Book with memories to cherish for years. 

It is simply a blank 8 1/2 x 11 book/journal that transforms into a journey through the years. 

So, ahem, Richard, ahem you would never have to buy me a card again!

The boys could draw a picture of a bouquet of flowers 

since I know how much you LOVE to buy real flowers. 

However, pictures of chocolate probably aren't the same as the real deal. 

Just so you know. 

Anyway, I am planning on purchasing a blank book to hopefully be filled many years to come. 

You can also tape in precious notes from your kiddos or masterpieces of art that you just can't part with.

The hardest part will be picking just the right book. 

Hopefully the first of many. 

(I will let you know how this works out)

With Mother's Day right around the corner, and our anniversary and my birthday in June I think now would be as great time to begin this.

I have also taken pictures of some of my favorite drawings that Jonah has brought home, as I know I can't save everything.  I am thinking they could be printed off and placed lovingly in this book. 

So excited I can hardly stand it!