La Vie

the ladies

2012-01-29T22:26:00.001-08:00

Soaking it in

2012-01-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

I am enjoying my time of unemployment very much (well, minus the not getting paid part. ha ha) . Soaking in these moments with my kids. Nothing better.

I am a happy mama!

2012-01-25T22:11:00.000-08:00

You know how some people say that they randomly open up their Bible and read something that was meant for them. I think that most verses in the Bible can speak to your heart in several ways.

My Bible was dropped on the floor by one of my munchkins today and the pages were all folded up so when I opened my Bible it was in Proverbs 16. It spoke to me and maybe it will speak to you.

Proverbs 16

"To man belong the plans of the heart,
but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.

All a man's ways seem innocent to him
but motives are weighed by the Lord.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.

The Lord works out everything for his own ends
even the wicked for a day of disaster.

(skip to v 9)
In his heart a man plans his course,
but the Lord determines his steps"

If you want to read the whole passage, you know where to find it.

I needed to hear this today. I needed to be reminded that God is ultimately in control and He has plans for us.

Today my patient that I have been taking care of for the last three years passed away. He was such a sweet elderly man. I am sad to see him go but glad that he isn't suffering anymore. I will miss him. He turned into a family member. My kids loved him and he loved my kids. I couldn't of asked for a better job. I was able to bring Jesi with me until she was 8 months old. I had a flexible schedule and it provided for our family. It was a place where I could do my homework.

So now what? Back to the grind of the ER? Back to working graveyard? ehhh! I don't know. I don't really want to think about it tonight.

I'm not going to lie, I am glad that I don't have to go to work tomorrow. I can stay home with my babies.

But for now I am jobless and Danny's temp job with the city ended a month ago.

Looks like I will be entering into my 30's as a broke, unemployed college student, mother of three.

Can you tell that I am having a little bit of a pity party for myself. I think it is time to hibernate to my bed for the night and maybe read this passage again.

Life

2012-01-16T21:05:00.000-08:00

I'm too tired to write much right now. This week has been a little overwhelming so I am just going to post some pictures that I just downloaded. I am so blessed by these little girls. They make me want to pull my hair out on a daily basis but they are worth it! Love how their little personalities are coming more alive each day. Here are some quotes from the week and I will probably be the only one that thinks they are funny.

Ivy: "Is it time for her nap yet [Jesi], she is starting to get wild"

Jesi: "Mom, can I have a snack. Hear me?"

Ivy: (looks outside the window at the snow) Mom, we need to bake a cake! It is Christmas!"

I know there were a lot more good ones. I hate how I forget them so fast. I need to better at writing them down.

This was so funny. Jesi fell asleep on the floor and Ivy ran to get my camera so that she could take a picture of her.

Homemade lattes:)) Yum,yum.

I love this picture because it captures daily life so well. All of them going in different directions and always up to something.

How is my baby 16 months old already? Makes me want to cry a little bit.

Latest victim

2012-01-06T18:24:00.000-08:00

Scratched by Jesi in the back seat of the car. We may need to seperate these two. I feel like there are a lot of cat fights over here.

January

2012-01-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

Greetings! I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday season! My computer seems to be a little schizophrenic lately so hopefully this blog post with actually show up. We have been having to switch up our internet connections over here because I am getting ready to start my classes in a couple of weeks. That is right, I am going back to school! I actually am quite excited as I enjoy school but am a little nervous about getting everything accomplished and keeping up with my household demands. I just got my acceptance letter into Georgetown a few weeks ago and will be going back to get my masters in nursing as well as become a family nurse practitioner.The economy has impacted our family in a way in which I am the one that works in our household. I am okay with that. It has its challenges but that is life. Going back to school will open up job opportunities that will give me better hours and less grunt work. I have wanted to go back to school for the last six years and finally had an opportunity open up. My classes are a couple nights a week from 8pm-10pm. It is nice that I can stay at home to attend the classes and I should be able to do most my homework at work. I have to travel to the campus in Washington DC two times this year. Once in May and then another trip in January. I have never been to Washington DC so I am excited to see some sites while I am there. One of my favorite shows is Bones, which takes place in Washington DC so hopefully I will run into Temperance, Booth or both. If you watch the show then you know what I am talking about. One can always dream, right?

The program is 18 months longs and then I will probably be working for the government in a clinic for two years after I graduate to pay off my student loans. That is the plan at least. God knows that most my "plans" don't go as "planned". 2012 should be packed full of exciting challenges and changes.

Danny and I were reading a devotional last night and it talked about a man (forgot his name and I don't want to get up to get it). Anyways, he died in an airplane accident and the motto that he lived by was "God first, others second and me third". I know it isn't a new concept but it kind of simplifies the basics for a happy life. I know that in life it is easy to chase after our own pursuits and get distracted from what is really important in life. My main goal for 2012 is to truly live my life pursuing God with ALL my heart. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Here are some of my other goals for 2012:

1. Be in a rodeo

2. Give more, save more..

4. Love more. Worry less.

I am catching up on pictures from the last two months. They include Thanksgiving pictures from our trip to Bend, a beach trip and some Christmas photos. There are also some random ones from daily life such as pictures of Jesi on the time out chair. She seems to REALLY like sitting there:0 Life can get pretty crazy around here on a daily basis, all you moms can relate to that, I know. Ivy and Jesi are constantly harassing each other and fighting but they are inseparable. Today while Ivy was in school Jesi said "I am ready for Ivy to come home". So sweet. Ivy talks Jesi into doing naughty things like last night when I was standing outside of their bedroom door and heard Ivy whisper "Jesi, you should get out of bed". Little stinkers, gotta love em. Last night Ivy went over and told Jesi that she loved her and then Jesi threw her sippy cup at Ivy's head. I couldn't help myself from laughing. Ivy is still doing ballet and started a gymnastics class this week. I took Jesi with me to watch and that may have been a mistake because she was ready to join the class. She was trying so hard to run and do flips on the mats I could barely control her. In a few more months she will be old enough to join them.

Okay, better run Mady just woke up and doesn't sound very happy.

Wouldn't be Thanksgiving without some football with my brothers.

Mady's signature move. One thumb in her mouth and the other hand is used for twirlng her hair.

Ivy and Jesi, well, being Ivy and Jesi.

My sweet little Madalyn.

Little Christmas elf.

It is all fun and game until someone wrestles the other one into the Christmas tree. Yes, this did happen.

Time OUT

Look at that face of innocence:)

Just chillin her her Christmas jammies

Christmas morning!

Maybe getting a bow for Jesi was a bad idea. lol

My little type A personality daughter decorating the tree.

Daddy's little girls dressed up and headed to Grandma and Grandpa Agee's house for dinner.

Madalyn's first Birthday shoot

2011-11-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

These pictures are a little late, since Madalyn's first birthday was September 3rd. Better late then never, right? We walked down to the park to get some pictures. I was trying to do the same photo shoot that I did with Jesi last year when she turned one. Jesi is wearing the dress that Ivy wore last year and Madalyn is wearing what Jesi wore last year. Anyways, it was just a fun little shoot to cherish theses memories.

So blessed by these little munchkins.

mmmm...cupcakes

I love the expression on Ivy's face her when she see's how messy Madalyn's face is

I'm out of her mom

My Day So Far

2011-11-15T17:08:00.000-08:00

Today
7:15 am: Got off work, stopped at Great Harvest on the way home for a loaf of bread and "treat" for the girls, a marionberry scone for them to share.
8:00am: Get home, feed the girls breakfast. Found Ivy underneath Madalyn's crib trying to eat the entire scone. Ivy and Jesi get into an argument and Jesi pulls Ivy's hair. Both are put on time out. Madalyn watches both of them intently.
11:00am: Drop Madalyn off at Grandma's house to take a nap while I head into Salem to run some errands.
11:30am Stopped by Corban University to pick of a Barista espresso machine that Danny bought me for Christmas (Surprise!) just kidding. Turns out the seller was a professor at Corban. Ended up hanging out at the college for two hours because he forgot to bring it with him. The girls ran around all over the place. After they were tired out from running around we went to Common Grounds and they split a hot cocoa and I ordered some tea. We headed downstairs to wait. Jesi spilt her entire hot cocoa on the floor. We "played" Foosball and pool. It was nice seeing familiar faces. The campus looks gorgeous with all of the new buildings and the remodeling that they have done. Saw a bunch of students heading into "American Thought and Culture" class. Couldn't help but think to myself "sucks to be you!" lol. Being back on the campus flooded me with memories. Ivy kept saying "Mom, this is a nice school!", "Mom, I like your school!".
The scariest part about walking around the campus was that all of the students looked so young. That must mean I am getting old.
1:30: Stopped by LensCrafters to pick up my contacts. Had to wait 15 minutes with two tired kids who were being out of control, especially Jesi. It was really embarrassing. Seriously 15 minutes in a shop with nothing but glasses everywhere and a two year old is a nightmare! I left the store holding a screaming toddler and one contact in my right eye. Apparently my left eye has weird prescription so they have to special order it.
5:00: Blogging, Jesi is running around naked with a beanie on her head and Ivy is asleep right next to me on the couch. Danny just got home and Madalyn needs picked up. Apparently she took a four hour nap this afternoon.
Tonight: soccer awards banquet for the high school girls. Not going to lie, I am pretty glad soccer season is over. It really was an awesome experience but it is nice to have some time back.

Thought I would add a random picture with this post becuase it is humorous. This picture may or may not have been taken by Ivy last week:0 We were playing dress up and I got a little carried away. It gets a little crazy around her on a daily basis.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

I am on a role with blogging lately.

This morning Ivy's pre-school class took a field trip out to the local pumpkin patch. Ivy couldn't wait to go and I secretly have been waiting patiently for this event for awhile now too. Who doesn't love roaming about in a field of pumpkins, drinking hot cider and walking through the tall corn stalks? I think I belong on a farm. If we had the resources to buy the pumpkin farm and take it over today it would be a done deal. Maybe I should bring this proposition up to Danny when he comes home. Anyways, enough about me and my desires to take over a pumpkin farm. If anyone wants to give me a million dollars I will e-mail you my address. Okay, I said enough about that!

These kids had an awesome time at the pumpkin patch and I think each student fell down at least once while running through the pumpkin fields in their big rain boots. That only added to the entertainment. Each of the students were allowed to pick out one pumpkin, one gourd and one Indian corn. Ivy wanted to find a "baby pumpkin". This is Ivy's second year at her school. It has been fun watching her and the other students become friends and learn together.

It was fun seeing all of the different shapes and colors. Looks like I have some competition out there. haha.

This one wouldn't fit in the "bag", so it was a no go.

My little 4 year old preschooler. Love this girl.

Silly girls, they made up several songs about the pumpkin farm while we were on the hay ride. So cute.

The class of 2024! You've got a long way to go kidlets.

Ivy and Grandma! I am so glad she joined us this morning.

Now off to fold the most daunting pile of laundry ever to grace my floors presence. Maybe I am blogging to procrastinate. Yes, I think I am.

Catching up on the blog

2011-10-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

I am supposed to be "sleeping" right now while my family is at church since I worked all night. However, my house is so quiet and I am enjoying it. I am finally getting a chance to print off some of my favorite recipes and put them in a three ring binder I picked up at Wal-mart yesterday. When did that become my idea of fun? Lame.
Anyways, I thought I would post some pictures and make up for my last blog post. It is hard to believe that Madalyn is already 13 months old, Ivy is 4 and Jesi is 2! I feel like most days fly by but at the same time a 30 minute period can sometimes feel like four hours. Danny was hired on by the city to work through November. It has been challenging with him gone five days a week and getting home late in the evenings after soccer practice. I am thankful that he has a job and I am thankful that my work schedule has changed so that I get to be home everyday of the week except for Saturdays (usually). I feel like something is always changing and then we are adapting the best we know how.

Love these little baby girls!

No words for this little one. Lets just say she marches to her own drum and that is why we love her so much.

Ivy's fourth birthday party with her cousins in Bend

This is where I stick Jesi when I am cooking in kitchen and need her out of my way. She would sit in there all day if I let her.

Isn't this picture really creepy (with the doll's eyes). That is the only reason I included it in my blog.

We went to the beach for the day to celebrate Mady's birthday. We figured our family and friends were burned out on little kid birthday parties (and so were we). It was a great day.

Ivy's self portrait of me. So funny!!

Oh no! I am still awake. Time to get a quick power nap in.

Fall

2011-10-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

I decided that I was in the mood to blog this morning so I am going to attempt to even though all of my children are awake. Jesi is running around in the nude because we are still potty training her. She has been a little bit of a difficult one. She literally will pee on the ground on purpose if she is mad at me. Ivy and Madalyn are wrestling around right in front of me in a playful manner (at the moment).
Life is busy right now with soccer season in full swing. Danny is the varsity girls coach and I somehow was talked into coaching the JV team. I didn't really expect to enjoy it. I distinctively remember driving up to the field the first day and thinking "this is going to suck". It really has been a great experience so far. I now fall asleep thinking about soccer drills. Who would have thought? The girls are so halarious, they are a great group of kids to be around.
Okay, better run because Jesi is now chasing Ivy down the hallway on her toy horse and Madalyn is running after them. Yikes! These kids are crazy.

Seriously?

2011-08-12T23:33:00.000-07:00

How do you potty train someone who thinks that the toliet can also be used as a hot tub?

I freaked out when I walked in and saw this. She was yelling my name from the bathroom as though she was really proud of what she was doing.

Jesi Lynn, sometimes I just don't know what I am going to do with you.

I almost would rather just keep her in diapers until she is five.

Vacation 2011

2011-08-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

We had little family getaway last week. We headed to one of my favorite places, Pacific City. We spent four days hanging out on the beach and relaxing? Well, I don't know how relaxing it is running after a billion kids trying to jump in the ocean, but hey it was gorgeous weather and we were happy to be there.

We stayed in a one bedroom condo. All the girls slept in the same room and Danny and I slept in the living room. It was interesting trying to get all of the kids asleep in the same room. I caught Jesi trying to crawl into the Madalyn's pack n play a few times. Another time I found Ivy and Jesi cuddled up together asleep on the floor. Ivy, Jesi and I hiked up the back of the sand dunes. I was surprised that we made it to the top. I had to carry both of them the last 30 feet which was a good work out. We then held hands and ran down.

We had a great trip, it is nice to get away sometimes. Well, Jesi is jumping on my back and Ivy is asking for a snack so I guess that is all I am going to write about our trip for now. I hope everyone is having a good summer.

A 3yr old,a 2 yr old and an 11 month old

2011-07-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

Jesi turned 2 years old last Friday. So now when people ask me, "how old are you kids?", I can reply by saying 3,2 and 11 months old. Then, I can precede to watch their face as they do the math. Ivy will be four next month so I won't be able to entertain myself with this very long.

Jesi spent the evening of her birthday running around the back yard with her balloon in her "birthday suit". Seriously, why can't I keep clothes on my children? She also played and cuddled with her little stuffed dog from the dollar store. Jesi is pretty low maintence. Ivy on the other had, is already planning her guest list for her party. Oh boy.

We had a birthday party for Danny and Jesi on Sunday evening. Danny's birthday is tomorrow and since we have four birthdays in a little over the span of the month. We decided to combine them. Special thanks to the friends that were invited the day of the party and were able to come. Procrastination, it is kinda my thing.

Well, I guess I am going to cut this blog a little short because a certain 2 year old is up from her nap and just poked her head around the corner. Now, she is trying to eat all of the babies snacks. Oh Jesi, you have quite the little personality. Happy Birthday Jesi, aka "Little One"! I am so happy to be your mama.

Giving her puppy some kisses

After the kisses, she did some kind of "war cry"

Jesi stripped down naked at her birthday party and these were the only clothes I could keep on her. haha. Love how far she pulled her shorts up.

post-party bubble time

Summer Fun

2011-07-17T21:55:00.000-07:00

This is going to be my attempt to catch up on blogging from the summer so far with pictures. I can't believe it is already the middle of July. All this rain is throwing my seasonal clock off. Today was a great day and it has left me feeling recharged. Danny woke me up at 9 am this morning and brought me coffee in bed. It felt great to sleep in. Last night we were in the emergency department with Ivy until 10:30 and Jesi and Madalyn stayed the night at the grandparents house. Keep Ivy in your prayers. She has had a tough season with allergies and respiratory stuff. We are going to be taking her to a specialist soon. It stresses me out. She seems to be doing a lot better today.

We mostly relaxed and hung out at home today. We had Danny's soccer team over to watch the women's world cup and had a BBQ. They are a great group of gals and I can't wait to watch them play this fall. This will be Danny's first year coaching the varsity girls team at the local high school. It is fun watching my kids interact with the girls on the team. I basically could just sit back and relax with 12 teenage girls at my house all fighting over who got to hold the baby.

After they left we hung out in the back yard, gave the girls baths and now they are all sleeping. They didn't even put up a fight. Jesi was asking to go to bed. Definitely needed a day like today and I am very thankful for it.

Going on a ride with Daddy

I love this picture.

Poor Danny. I think the guy deserves a fishing trip here and there.

15 lb Salmon Danny caught

All the cousins (minus Samuel)

Tuckered out

Snack time

At my parents house playing baseball. Up to bat is my sister in law and my brothers Jon and Zach are behind her. Right after I took this picture she got beaned in the back by my nephew David. haha. It was pretty funny.

We brought our horses with us to Bend. We are like our own little zoo on wheels.

lil Jes all strapped in and ready for a trip

2011-07-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

It feels nuts around here lately.

This morning I woke up at 6 am to Jesi putting contents from my purse and wallet on my face (i.e. a dollar bill, an old starbucks gift card and a couple of receipts). Ivy was also in our bed because she has been up during the night coughing and occassionally wheezing from her allergies so I keep the inhaler next to me when I sleep. Madalyn has four teeth coming in up top so she has been a little cranky. Jesi refuses to wear a diaper so we are in the middle of potty training her. We also had to convert her crib into a toddler bed since she kept jumping out of her crib. Needless to say, it is a struggle to keep her in a bed, period. Madalyn is crawling all over the place. Jesi tries to get out the front door. Ivy has been a lot more sassy lately because she hasn't been sleeping great at night due to her allergies. Wowzer! This thing called being a parent isn't easy.
But, they are my crazy little munchkins and I love em

Father's Day

2011-06-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is that time of day. NAP time:) My house is suspiciously quiet right now and that can only mean one thing, someone is writing on a wall somewhere. But, I have decided that I am not going to worry about it today. The kids are quiet and the smaller ones are in their cribs so nobody is in danger. I am going to revel in the quiet and enjoy my coffee that I just made from the french press that I found tucked away in my cupboard the other day. With a little touch of hazelnut creamer and it is muy delicious! I love coffee.

I meant to post a Father's Day tribute the other day but had some complications downloading some pictures. We run a little bit of a non-traditional ship around here. Danny is a stay at home dad and I am the one that works outside the home. A little bit after Jesi was born we were both working full-time and it was a struggle to keep the home intact and schedules in line. Things were not working smoothly. So, we decided to change things up a bit It is not perfect by any means, we still have our struggles but it is the best situation we could come up with to meet our families needs and for the most part it works really well.

The thing I admire about him most is the fact that I have never heard him complain once about doing laundry, taking care of the girls, doing dishes, changing diapers, cooking, etc...He even has been learning how to do the "inside-out" french braid. He already knew how to french braid the traditional way due to road trips with his "awana's club". I guess he used to french braid the girls hair on the way to competitions or something like that. Cracks me up. There is definitely a difference between a dad taking care of the kids and a mom taking care of this kids as evidence by, sometimes the girls go to bed with shoes on, sometimes for dinner the only thing on their plate is a piece of cooked venison, sometimes the outfits that the girls get put in are very comical, like the other day when Jesi was wearing Ivy's tank top with a pair of tights:) However, those are all trivial things and when it comes to taking care of the girls Danny is amazing at being a stay at home dad.

We are so blessed by Danny's servant heart and all the hard-work he does around the house and taking care of the girls. I am so thankful to have him in my life and I am thankful for the amazing father he is to our girls. So with all of that said Happy Father's Day!! We all love you to pieces.

Round 1

Round 2

Jesi is MIA

This is what conspired after round 1 of the photo shoot. I had to break out the glue stick and do some repairs.

Okay, I give up. Now the sign is ripped to shreds.

These ragamuffins are busy.

Danny, you may need a pay raise:)

Life is rough

2011-06-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Life is pretty rough when you are a baby....

I have to get pushed around in a stroller on a warm sunny day until I fall into a deep slumber.

I have to play with toys that are too mentally stimulating and it makes me want to take a nap.

That crazy mommy of mine is always sneaking up on me and taking my picture. Suprise!

My big sister Ivy just won't leave me alone some days

Ivy makes me stare at her toy horse but then gets mad if I try and touch it or play with it.

What is a baby to do?

"Mischief" should have been my middle name

2011-06-04T00:26:00.000-07:00

This one has been getting into a lot of mischief lately. She is quite the strong willed, independent little one and can be caught trying to do crazy things frequently. I am a little worried about what she will be like as a teenager. She has mastered climbing out of her crib, taking off her clothes and pooping on the carpet. But, she also has a very, very sweet side to her. I just love this little munchkin even though I probably have blisters on my feet from running after her all day.

Where's Waldo

Just trying to reach the dead bolt and escape from the house. No biggy.

She loves her big sister.

Don't forget about little "bug". She doesn't try to escape from the house or climb out of her crib just yet.

And then there is Ivy who is showing a lot of Type A personality traits. Such as color coordinating her balloons. One of many examples.

I think that bag of balloons from the dollar store was money well spent.

LOVE these girls.

On another note, we are headed to Bend tomorrow for a few days. I am taking a break from work for a couple of weeks. Things have been a little stressful and there has been lots of unneccessary drama. Let's just say I need to get away before I yell "I quit", slap an annoying co-worker in the face and slam the door. I can't wait to just spend time with the family and get away for a bit. I think it will do me some good and help me to adjust my attitude.

Triathlon

2011-06-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago a friend of my suggested that we sign up and participate in a Triathlon together. She convinced me that it wouldn't be that difficult and I would definitely be able to do it since I have been working out here and there. It sounded like a great idea at the time and I eagerly got on the Internet to register not thinking much about what it truly entailed.

Well...my friend ended up not being able to participate but since I had already registered I figured I would go anyways. The night before we (I dragged Danny and the kids along with me) headed down to Wal-mart to buy a swimsuit since the only one I had was a maternity suit. We then stopped by a friends house to pick up a bike and a helmet that I was borrowing for the big race. I drank a big glass of water the night before and then set my alarm clock for 6am.

I had some apprehension about the triathlon. The triathlon consisted of a 750 M swim, an eleven mile bike ride and a 3 mile run. I didn't sleep real well the night before because I had visions of me not physically being able to finish the swimming part. I didn't really know what to expect since I had never participated in anything like this before. Let's just say that if I knew what would happen the next day I would have never woken up to my alarm clock to willingly participate in the race.

I was very humbled during the triathlon. I was lapped in the swimming pool not once, not twice, not three times but FOUR times. I was the last person left in the swimming pool completing my laps. When the swimming part was complete I ran to my bike where my spandex were on the seat waiting for me. I could barely get them on because I was still wet from the swimming pool. I jumped on my friends mountain bike (other contestants had $3,000-$4,000 road bikes with fancy helmets) and set out on the 11 mile ride. I have never had to ride up so many hills in my life. It was very challenging physically and at one point I was tempted to get off my bike and jump on a horse that was in a pasture. I got passed by a 10 year old on a fancy bike. I never saw a single person after mile 5 and the person driving the van that was collecting the cones ended up driving behind me since I was the last one left. It was so bad I just had to laugh or else I probably would have cried. I finally finished the 11 miles and then started in on my 3 mile run. After mile 2 one of the volunteers looked at me and said "Are you participating in the triathlon?" They didn't think I was a contestant because I was so far behind everyone.

I finally finished the triathlon. At the finish line there were only five volunteers. They announced my name over speakers. I would have preferred to remain anonymous:)

Even though it was kind of a disaster and I was put in a wave that was much to fast for me I still enjoyed the race. Sometimes it is nice to get out of your comfort zone. It was also kind of nice to not be able to think about anything but the task on hand for a couple of hours. It cleared my head.

If I compete again I will definitely need a good pair of sunglasses and a hat to remain incognito.

Today

2011-05-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

So here I am again, but this time Ivy is in her bed, the lights are on and I don't have numbness and tingling in my arm. My plan was to take a nice hot bath tonight and head to bed early, BUT one of my kiddos has locked me out of the bathroom (luckily they are not in it) and I need to wait until Danny gets home so that he can open it. I tried to open it with several different approaches and decided to walk away before I broke something.
I don't really have anything specific to blog about so I will just fill you in on a little about what we did today;

I got home from work this morning around 7:45 and was in a cranky mood because I was tired. I decided that it was too nice outside and I didn't want to spend the day in bed and not with my kids so I stayed up.

Spent the morning relaxing and then Danny went up to meet the vet at the horse barn so that he could geld his colt. (aka, cut the horses balls off). Don't worry I will spare you and not post any pictures of that. I always called the horse Shengo but I don't think that sort of a name really fits him anymore. Poor Horse! Maybe I will call him Shengita now.

We sure do have Danny outnumbered over her

I love this shirt "No one puts baby in the corner". haha.

We hung out outside. Soaking up this nice weather. Jesi kept taking her shoes off and trying other people's shoes on instead.

Ivy decided it was too hot for clothing (this is no surprise) and decided to practice "roping her cow" in her undies.

Then...she decided to drag the cow across the lawn a few times with the rope.

Then...they still had bundles of energy. I on the other hand, did not. Madalyn fell asleep so I decided to take Ivy and Jesi to the park while Danny hung out at home.

We went through the Starbucks drive-thru. I ordered an iced Americano with cream and two sugars in the Raw and the preceded to pay with this Foot Massage Chart instead of an actual debit card like most people. I was a little distracted by the request for a cookie from passengers in the back seat. It made me laugh, really hard...too hard in all honesty. Poor, barista. I hope he didn't think I was asking him to massage my feet.

Then it was dinner time. We kept it simple. Turkey wrap and carrots with water.

Got the girls wound down and in bed.

These two pictures below make me smile.

Just snapped a picture of what the patio looked like after a day of play. The boots, clothes, chalk and baseball glove scattered about. The "cow" that was dragged onto the patio. Ivy and Jesi's little green chair. I know this won't mean anything to anybody else but it means a lot to me. These are the things I am trying to cherish these days. The little memories.

This is comfort. Fresh baked sugar cookies along side our tomato and pepper plants. It truly is the little things in life.

Now, If I could only take a hot bath! I really need one.

ballet recital

2011-05-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

here is an update about thr ballet recital. i know you were all holding your breath. i am typing weird because ivy is asleep on me as we speak, the lights are out and i am typing with one pointer finger i am also distracted by the sound of ivy grinding her teeth, that sound gives me goosebumps. i wonder what i should do about that. probably need to take her to the dentist, she is going to freak out. okay it took me way to long to type that explanation and now myneck is kinked from being in a strange position.

so in short, it was really fun watching them perform. felt extra special because it was the first time going to an event. the girls looked adorable in their costumes.

the fan club

she sure loves her papa

her little friends

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Since I had to work on the actual Mother's Day, we celebrated today. We were in the mood for a little adventure so we packed the girls up in the truck and headed to our favorite spot on the coast. It was a beautiful day and the beach was unpopulated.

The kids loved the beach and ran around like a bunch of hyper jack russell terriers after they were released from their confinement chairs, AKA car seats.

We started getting hungry after all of that running around so for lunch we headed to the Riverhouse. It is one of the best restaurants I have ever been too. I ordered a crab sandwich with split pea soup for my side dish. The soup was so delicious that even the girls kept asking for more. On the way home, Jesi started throwing a fit in her car seat but then fell fast asleep and started snoring. Then of course Ivy had to impersonate her snoring sound, several times. Ivy also was able to multitask by entertaining her little sister Madalyn on the drive home too.

So thankful for these little ladies of ours. I am a blessed mama. It was a great way to celebrate.

This was one of many attempts to get a picture of the two of them. This was the best one I got. (You should see the other ones:)

This little one preferred to sleep during the duration of our beach outing. So I will have to sneak in a picture of her anyways.

We are gearing up for a big day tomorrow. It is Ivy's first ballet recital. These costumes are so cute. I can't wait to watch the preform on stage.

Hope all of you mamma's out there had a great Mother's Day!

My little ladies

2011-05-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

My little ladies have already worn me out today. We stayed out of the house this morning because my friend Katie is sleeping in our bedroom since she worked graveyard shift last night. We are so loud so I took them all on an outing. We have spent the morning at two different parks. Jesi is now sleeping and Ivy is having "down time". Madalyn is on the go, she is scooting/crawling around the living room. When is my nap time? Isn't it ironic that when you are a kid you hate napping but it is required and then when you are an adult you don't get one.

Oh well, they are worth the sleep deprivation.

Happy Wednesday

The suburbs

2011-05-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

These little cowgirls of ours keep us entertained. I am beginning to think that we may not fit in, in the suburbs.

And, our neighbors no doubt think we are weird. Especially since Danny is usually the one in the back yard "roping" the fake cow.

Cheers to one day having a little piece of property of our own where we can be as weird as we want, but for now we are very thankful for where we are at.

I love the Spring

2011-04-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

2011-04-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

I don't really know what to write today. Mentally, physically and emotionally I am feeling a little drained this week. Maybe because it is tax week, maybe it is because I have a cold, maybe both? So since I have no inspiring words to share I am just going to post some pictures of the monkeys I love so very much. I have to say I love pictures because they show the sweetness of the moment. I am hoping for a hot bath tonight and a dose of NyQuil.

Marshmallow Fondant Recipe - Allrecipes.com

2011-03-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

Marshmallow Fondant Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Fondant

2011-03-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine shared this recipe with me and I absolutely love it and thought that some of you might love it too. It is really easy, inexpensive and your creativity has freedom to run wild. I can't wait to use this recipe over and over again. Especially with all the birthdays that will be coming up this Spring/Summer.

The only thing that I would say about this recipe is that I had to use a lot more powdered sugar when it came to kneading it. I would say I used about 1/4 of a bag extra then what they called for. Plus I hate the feeling of my hands being sticky so I went a little overboard.

It may not be the prettiest but we had fun decorating.

Of course the appropriate attire to wear when making this is swimming suit bottoms.

Link to recipe is below. It is from All Recipes under marshmallow fondant.

LIFE

2011-03-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

My little girlie's:)
Ivy has really been into painting and other crafts lately. We usually pull out the craft containers after Jesi goes down for a nap. A couple days ago we had a bead fiasco. She spilt about 200 plus beads all over the floor in the kitchen. Jesi must have thought they were candy because she was trying to eat them. Needless to say we got them cleaned up in a hurry.
I am enjoying the 3's for the most part. It is nice that she is potty trained, becoming more
independent and has a longer attention span. She loves to read and help with cooking and cleaning. She loves being outside and riding her bike. She is a major girlie-girl. She screams if I want her to wear anything but a dress and tights. She loves pedicures and manicures. She is becoming quite the high maintenance one! The best part is her heart for Jesus. She talks about Jesus all the time. Loves to pray and has told me that she has baby Jesus in her belly (umm.. so we will have to work on some of her Theology). She makes me laugh every day with the stuff she says. Today I was leaving to go to workout and she said "don't fall at the gym". She screams to the birds when we are outside because she "builds nests for them" and wants them to fly in and live there. When I am vacuuming she becomes the loudest little being in the world. She tries to compete with the vacuums noise and she always wins. She follows me everywhere. Sometimes I find myself running ahead of her and locking myself in the bathroom so that I can take a shower by myself. Then I will hear her knocking on the bathroom door the whole time I am in the shower. Danny still call her by her nickname "Infant". She even refers to herself as "Infant" sometimes. Danny even called her Infant in front of her friends while we were at her school play. I was horrified as I am sure he will still be calling her that in high school.
She is getting so big.
Jesi is 19 months old. She loves to be where the action is. She loves her binky. Sometimes she will walk around the house with one in her mouth and one in her hand. She will periodically switch them out. She is very stubborn. She loves to be outside getting dirty. She loves to eat frozen blueberries and will ask for them at every single meal. She is starting to say a lot more words, not very clear but understandable. She loves her papa and grandma. She is getting into blankets but hasn't picked a certain "blankie" yet. She wants to do everything Ivy is doing. She is my mamma's girl.

Madalyn-She is 6 months old already. She is wanting to crawl but thank goodness she hasn't yet. I think I will be in trouble when I have three that are mobile. She is very laid back and has been the easiest baby so far, knock on wood. There is not much else to say. She is my sweet pea.

Life is pretty precious these days. I feel like I have really been evaluating my life a lot lately and trying to hone in on what is really important, trying to be content, trying to enjoy the little moments that make life sweet. Trying not to morph into a monster (like last week).

I was thinking how being a mom is the greatest job in the world. I don't know about you but it took me a long time to decide on a major. There are way too many interesting subjects and professions out there. When I first started college I was planning on majoring in secondary education. However, after I did my student teaching it was evident that I was not a good fit. Following that I was drawn to science and that eventually lead me into nursing. I almost considered going to beauty school after I graduated from Corban. I was all over the place. My point being, as a mom you get to be all of these things, a teacher, a nurse, a hairdresser, a chef, a party planner, etc... If moms earned a salary I wonder what the yearly wage would be? Working 24/7, always on-call.

I am sure it would be a million bucks!

I don't know about you but I wouldn't trade being a mom for anything in the world....even a million bucks.

Hope I didn't bore everyone to death with this post.

Yikes

2011-03-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

Yikes-We are hanging on by the seat of our pants over here. If everyone is clean, fed and has their clothes on, we are doing pretty good.
Here are some highlights from the last month:
Madalyn is now 6 months old (time is flying with this baby...slow down please)
We have moved into a house with a fenced in backyard (yippee).
I have cut down my hours at work (yippee!).
Ivy is still in ballet and is loving it. It is here favorite activity of the week.
Jesi is so active, into everything and wrestles Ivy to the ground. This girl is tough. She also has been waking up in the middle of the night and screaming until everyone in the house has woken up. She just wants me to hold her. Seriously? We need to break this habit but I am kinda at a lose because if I let her just cry she goes on for a LONG time...until all the other babies are awake. Benadryl?
Other then that we are alive and well. Loving on these babies and having a lot of character building time. So thankful for these little baby girls.
Well, better run. Time for work and I still need to eat.

Gym irony

2011-02-01T09:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was at the gym warming up on the Precor before starting Boot Camp class. My mind started to wonder and I thought "I wish my friend Katie was here because I would dare her to tuck her shirt into her spandex". It was a very deep thought. We always make each other do stupid things in order to entertain the other one. Much like when the Corban soccer team would play cut the deck and whoever lost would be dared to do something. I have some very fond memories from that game. Anyways the thought made me chuckle to myself. Apparently I am entertained quite easily.
So my boot camp class started. I was wearing a baggy shirt and spandex pants (they are so comfortable). We started doing these exercises much like start jumps. There was a fan right behind me and every time I would have to jump down on the ground it would blow my shirt up. I really was not in the mood to flash anyone in my class and I am sure they weren't either. So what did I end up having to do? I had to tuck my shirt into my spandex pants! Awesome. It was really a good look for me. Of course there is a gigantic mirror right in front of me to remind me of how much I look like Richard Simmods relative.
Kind of ironic, don't ya think? I was only wishing I had a friend there to appreciate the awesomeness of the situation.

2011-01-22T19:49:00.000-08:00

What have we been up to besides lots of diaper changes, breaking up squabbles, cleaning up throw up, cooking, cleaning and all the other fun stuff?

Baking Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread.....

Decorating toothbrushes....

Learning how to be nicer to our baby sister...

Taking trips to the park when there is occasional sunshine...

Riding our bike and running into poles because we aren't paying attention...

Wrapping Daddy around our little finger...

Getting some chub and becoming even more kissable...

Thinking about wanting to run around with my big sisters...

Reading books about animals...

Coloring and drinking tea...

Spying on the neighbors with sis...

These girls make my heart happy!

2011-01-15T23:46:00.000-08:00

We ventured to Bend at the beginning of this week to visit my family and were also able to celebrate my Grandma's 96th birthday!!! Her short term memory isn't the best so when we asked her how old she was, she paused and said "I hope I am not 100". It was really cute.

I am at work right now, watching my patient. He is a night owl and is wide awake. So....I am entertaining myself by blogging. I am going to be tired tomorrow. I work every Saturday night so I frequently am the one in church that falls asleep. Luckily there are a lot of elderly people at our church so I am not the only one:) I just downloaded all the pictures from my phone onto my computer so I have been passing the time by looking through them.

Since I am at work right now and stuck watching shows on OPB with an 86 year old. I decided that I am going to make my blog readers suffer through a little piece of my genealogy.

Here are some pictures of my family;

Included in this picture are parents, my grandma (in white hat), my great Aunt Augusta, my sister in law and my second cousins from Kansas. This picture probably won't mean anything to anybody but they make me happy when I look at them.

This is my oldest brother David. His wife's name is Shannon and they have four kids; David Jr, Sarah, Simon and Samuel.

My brother Zachary. He is married to Kim (my oldest brothers married sisters), they have three kids;Rylie, Kayla and Aiden

This is my brother Jon and his wife Christina. They have one little boy named Duke and another little boy on the way...(they are thinking of naming him Gus)

Okay. That is brief run down of my family. Don't you feel a little more connected to me? I hope so:)

PS. The acting on these British OPB late night sitcoms make me want to throw something at the TV and break it. I will try to control myself.

2011-01-15T20:43:00.000-08:00

I love watching these two play together. They are always up to something. Ivy is always instigating something and Jesi is more then happy to participate. Never a dull moment around here....except for nap time. AKA my sanity hour.

2011-01-04T21:37:00.000-08:00

For some reason tonight I wanted a post dedicated to Jesi. This girl is such a character. Lately I have been making her earn her keep. So I say "Jesi, go to your closet, get me a diaper and then come lay down on the blanket"....and guess what folks she does it. Then I say "Jesi, go throw your diaper away in the trash and then come back to mama".....and guess what, she does it.
I smile every time I think of this girl.

Okay, that is all I have to say tonight. Time to watch a movie.

This is why I don't have very many pictures of all three of the together. It is a scary situation.

2010-12-29T03:05:00.000-08:00

Late night thoughts

2010-12-29T01:48:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate it when you can't sleep?

Especially when sleep is a valued commodity these days.

I just feel like I have so much on my mind right now. Tonight most my thoughts are on my job. I can't believe it has already been five years since I have graduated from nursing school. Most of those five years have been spent working in the ER. I worked in pediatrics for a year and a half and I currently do some home care nursing on the side but my comfort zone is the ER. Overall I love what I do but some days are just depressing. Today's shift started out pretty mellow but turned to chaos in a matter of minutes. One person had punctured an artery and was drenched in blood when they walked through the doors. A couple minutes later a couple chest pains walked through the door and one was brought in by ambulance. A little while later a pregnant woman came through with cramping, etc, etc, etc.
Anyways, my mind is replaying a lot of the events from earlier today. Some of my adrenaline probably hasn't worn off so I decided that instead of tossing and turning in bed that I would come sit out in the living room, drink a glass of wine and blog. I don't really know where I am going with this post but it is helping me debrief a little and then hopefully I will be able to go to sleep.
PS. Two of my girls are asleep out here. Ivy''s favorite place to sleep is in her sleeping bag on the living room floor. Since her and Jesi share a room we used to have to stagger their bedtimes and they were always waking each other up and throwing things at one another on occasion so this actually works out pretty good. Madalyn is also asleep in her bassinet. She used to sleep in our room but she sleeps a lot better when she is in a different room. Kind of ghetto sleeping arrangements:) They are so cute to watch sleep!
Anyways I feel like over the last five years the combination of working in the ER and witnessing a lot of traumatic events as well as having some of our own trials to battle through like Danny's brain surgery and my abdominal surgery as well as my dad's motorcycle accident, it has left me feeling a bit fearful and paranoid.
There is so much good in the world yet so much evil.How do we cope with all of this? Sometimes it is hard to understand. My jobs humbles me and makes me so thankful for the many blessings in my life.

Does anybody have any favorite verses or favorite books that pertain to this topic?

Somedays I wish that I worked at Starbucks or didn't work at all.

Okay now I am definitely sleepy, so off to bed I go.

2010-12-19T08:13:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of some of the happenings from the last couple of weeks. We went to a Christmas tree farm close to where we live to get our tree. That was a lot of fun and we are loving having the tree up and decorated. The tree has been mauled a few times and there are a lot of random things hanging on it as the days go by. Ivy has been having a lot of fun putting ornaments on top "away from Jesi" she tells me. Yes, Jesi is our little hurricane. She is doing lots of climbing and exploring and likes to get into everything. She is our little stunt girl. I am pretty sure she will give me a heart attack before I am 30 with stuff that she tries to do. Ivy was in a Christmas play this last week. It was such a joy watching her up on stage with her classmates singing along and dancing in her little 50's poodle skirt.
We are all so full of thanksgiving this week. As most of you probably know from my FB page that my dad was in a bad motorcycle accident this last Sunday. He hit a deer on his Harley going 55 mph. The deer jumped out right in front of him and he didn't even have time to break. He broke 8 ribs, his clavicle and punctured his left lung. He also had to get stiches on his face. We are so thankful that his injuries are not worse and we are thankful that he is still alive. He is at home now and recovering. Thank you for all of your prayers.

2010-12-06T11:28:00.001-08:00

Here I sit, sipping on a peppermint mocha and looking at our Christmas tree. The last couple of weeks have been pretty busy with traveling to Bend, work and just the daily grind. I have a little bit of a break before I head in for a short shift at the hospital. My maternity leave is over and I have been working only two shifts a week taking care of my elderly patient and I am also working on-call in the ED at the hospital. I was so anxious about going back to work but it has transitioned very smoothly and it makes me realize that I really shouldn't have worried about it so much. I have been working one day shift and one night shift. When I go into the hospital to work it is usually for only a few hours here and there. A lot of times I can go to work during the kids nap time or work for a few hours after they go to bed. I am a bit of a night owl so staying up a little late doesn't bother me so much. It is funny because these days when I go to work it feels like a break from the "work" at home. I feel like it is a good balance. The medical field is one of my passions and it is a big part of who I. So I am glad that I can continue to work. I thought I would post a few pictures from our Thanksgiving vacation. We had a great time in Bend and saw a lot of family. Thanksgiving dinner ended up just being with my parents and our family friends Scott and Kim and there two amazing kids, MaKayla and Luke. Usually on Thanksgiving my parents house is full to the brim with kids and tons of people and it is a bit chaotic. It was actually nice to sit down and be able to have a conversation this year. (This was technically the ONLY year in my whole life that I have been able to sit at the "adult" table. I usually sit at a card table with a billion kids). The rest of the week we house hopped for deserts and games and ate lots of leftovers.

I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving!

Practicing shooting my bow.

2010-11-22T22:45:00.000-08:00

Kids are asleep and I had some time to download some pictures onto my computer. We are headed to Bend tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving with my family. We have had a busy day getting everything packed up and ready. Not very excited about driving over the pass tomorrow, especially since it is already snowing here in the valley but it will definately be worth it. Can't wait to relax and eat lots of turkey and pie. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Madalyn 11 weeks

2010-11-22T22:36:00.000-08:00

2010-11-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

I decided that instead of picking up all the toys and laundry that are thrown about on the floor for the fiftiest time today, I am going to sit down and blog instead. Because maybe, just maybe, one day I will sit down and read this post and smile about what my days used to be like. Today was a pretty typical day...pause...it takes my mind a couple minutes to actually remember the events that took place....I feel like my days are a bit of a whirlwind around here and every child seems to take more of my brain power so bare with me.

Today started around 8:00am, Ivy comes to my side of the bed, snuggles with me for awhile and then tells me that she is hungry. This is a typical morning routine. I get out of bed, it feels like 5 o'clock in the morning, but really it is 8. I make some coffee for myself and make some oatmeal for her. By this time the rest of the clan is waking up, I can hear Jesi getting louder by the minute and demanding to be let out of her crib. Madalyn is also waking up wanting to be fed. Danny is up and helping with the kids. We get everyone settled down and then I made some breakfast burritos (I have to add this part because they were really good, saute some yellow onions in butter and olive oil, then add some chunks of cooked ham then add some beaten eggs, cook for awhile and then add some cheddar cheese. Roll them up in tortillas and serve with salsa, Yummy!) I am already planning on making some for breakfast again tomorrow. Sorry about that, see how my mind just wanders these days. Kinda frightening.

Okay, where was I. Yes, so basically I am finally awake because I drank a cup of coffee and opened the blinds. Danny had a meeting at 11 am at our apartment so I loaded up Ivy and Jesi (Madalyn was asleep) and headed to my friend Kim's house. We had a fun time chatting as usual while my kids enjoyed some snacks and played with toys.

Headed back home, by now it is 1 o'clock. I feed Jesi some lunch, change her diaper and put her down for a nap. 20 minutes later I hear her screaming, I went in to check her, immediately when I enter the room it smells like "butt". I flip on the light to find her completely covered in her own crap. It is around her face, her hands, her stomach, her legs, the bedding, the crib, the floor, her binky and her MOUTH! I froze for a few seconds in horror. I have heard stories about this happening from other people but never actually experienced it. I didn't even know where to start cleaning. I took her in the bathroom and scrubbed her hands in the sink with antibacterial soap and scrubbed down her body with a wash cloth. Then I hosed her down in the shower and then stuck her in the bathtub. I think I went through half a container of antibacterial soap. She also threw up twice during this whole process. I can imagine your stomach doesn't feel so good when you eat your own poo. Danny had left to run errands during this time so I am all alone. Finally Jesi is cleaned up. I then proceed to clean up her bedding, the floor, the crib and wipe everything down with Clorox wipes.

Later on in the afternoon, Danny gets home after coaching soccer practice. I head to the grocery store and take Ivy with me. She gets a little grouchy during this time of day because she no longer takes an afternoon nap. We get done shopping, I load her in truck and continue to unload the groceries. I shut the truck door so that the person parked beside me can get into his car and leave. I go to open the door, It is locked. Ivy thinks it is funny that she locked me out of the truck. At this point she is understanding that I am not amused and unlocks the door. We head home. Danny grilled up some burgers, we eat dinner, read some stories and put the girls to bed.

So now I am winding down, all my girls are asleep. Danny is up at the horse barn cleaning the horse stalls and I am drinking some Sprite and snacking on some pretzels. My house looks like a tornado has gone through it and my bathroom floor is covered with dirty laundry.

This is my life these days in a nutshell. I know that I get frustrated and tired out some days. But I also know that it won't always be this way. I know that someday all too soon they will be self sufficient and potty trained. I know that they won't always climb on my lap and want to be rocked and held. I know that they won't always come running to me when they get out of class because they are happy to see me. I know that they won't always throw their food on the ground and poke each other in the eye. I know that they won't always climb on the furniture and wrestle each other on the floor. I know that all to soon they will be too big to hold and too old to scold. So for that reason I am embracing this season in my life and trying to soak up all the precious memories that unfold with each passing day. Poop and all:)

So thankful for these three little monkeys in my life, and yes I do believe that the word monkeys is a very fitting description!

smothering

2010-10-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

Just a little glimpse into the happenings of our week. Pretty much a lot of smothering has been going on. Primarily between Ivy and Madalyn. As you can see Ivy can't seem to get enough of her baby sister. She likes to wrestle Jesi, but she loves to dot on Maddy. Sometimes the cuteness around here is too much for me to handle.

I can't believe there are four girls in this household now. 4:1, Danny, you are very outnumbered these days. I guess he deserves those hunting and fishing outings. Get some man time in.

We had a little visit from the cousins. My sister in law came by with her four kids.
It got a little crazy for awhile with seven kids in a confined area. It was great to see them.

This is the first time I have ever had a child fall asleep while eating dinner. Poor baby. She has been getting a back molar and was up the night before literally screaming until 4am. It was a horrible night to say the least, we were all tired the next day. Ivy thought it was funny that Jesi fell asleep in her high chair and then she started petting her head saying "wake up Jesi, wake up". We said "no, stay asleep, stay asleep!". She fell asleep at 6pm and didn't wake up until 9am. I wish I could do that.

Aren't kids so sweet when they sleep. Whenever they fall asleep I think to myself, how in the world could I ever get mad at someone this cute.

But then they wake up....and yes, they are still cute:)

example of the smothering

Six weeks old

Look, I finally got a picture of Jesi and Madalyn together, and Jesi is trying to feed her bread. What a hazardous age gap, 13 months apart, I don't recommend it.

That's pretty much all, well not really but Jesi is starting to scream because she just finished breakfast and wants out of her high chair.

Beach Day

2010-10-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

6 weeks old already

2010-10-15T21:29:00.000-07:00

2010-10-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

Proud papa to three little girls

Life at home with three little girls

2010-10-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, things have been busy...

I don't really know how to put my life into words lately. Motherhood is tough, it is hard work, it test my patience and grows my character but at the same time it is rewarding, joyful and amazing.

I think someone is a smitten kitten

Ivy and Madalyn have lots of snuggle times during the day, especially during Jesi's nap time. I haven't been able to get many pictures of Jesi and Madalyn because I can't leave them alone for two seconds for safety reasons.

My girls are at really busy ages right now (ya think). Ivy just turned three, Jesi is 14 months and Madalyn is five weeks old today. Ivy is very strong willed and has lots of wild energy. She is in constant need of discipline and likes to challenge me on a daily/hourly basis. She is very social, loving, likes attention and makes me laugh on an hourly basis as well. She never keep her clothes on, treats Jesi like a little pet (whistles to her as if she is a dog and throws her toys to make her play fetch). I can't lie, I think it is pretty funny. Ivy just started pre-school. It has been a good outlet for her and she has been learning a lot.

Jesi...This little girl is my rough and tumbly, accident prone, dare devil, laid back little ham. I know that is quite the combination but she fits into all categories. She is the busiest one of the bunch. I spend most of my day chasing her around and making sure she doesn't try to drink out of the toilet, climb in the bathtub or attack baby Madalyn.

Madalyn....sigh...what can I say. She is so SWEET and perfect (yes I am bias and probably sound like I am favoring this child over my other ones, but i assure you i love them all equally, most days:). She is my cuddle bug and I am trying to soak in all the snuggles I can get. She is a very mellow, happy baby. She has been sleeping well most nights. I feel more rested now then I did those last few months of pregnancy.

There is nothing I would rather do then be a mother and love on these crazy kids of mine.

Introducing....

2010-10-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

Miss Madalyn Shae

7lbs 6oz

September 3, 2010

12:20 am

I will write more when I can. Just wanted to update the blog with some pictures before another month flew by. I hope you enjoy. We sure are enjoying our little bundle! What a blessing she is.

Get Out

2010-08-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

Dear Baby girl Agee number #3,

I grant you permission to please be born soon. As much as I have loved being pregnant for two years straight. I would much prefer at this point in my life for you to be out where I can see you and hold you. The last weeks have been fun. I have loved the pregnancy induced insomnia, vomiting, heartburn and hormone surges but now it is time for you to come out and show yourself. If I have to buy a bogo stick and jump down the sidewalk to encourage your arrival into the world then I might just have to do that. Until then I will be here in my elastic pants waiting for you to join the rest of the Agee party.

Hugs and Kisses:)

Mamma

BABY BELLY

This is my lame attempt to get a self portrait of my belly. This was taken two weeks ago (36 weeks).

Here is the rest of the party....anxiously awaiting your arrival.

Side note: This picture shows how Jesi gives kisses. Her mouth wide open and attacking your face.

Look who turned 3!

2010-08-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Ivy Marie,

It is hard to believe that you turned three years old today. Three seems like such a big number, you are officially a little girl. It seems like just the other day that we were bringing you home from the hospital. Right after you were born you were awake for five hours straight and all you wanted to do was eat. You still fight sleep and when it gets dark outside you tell me "no naps mamma", because you know that bedtime is coming soon.

People say that "two's are terrible", but I can honestly say that I have thoroughly enjoyed the two's. Even though there have been some challenging moments, terrible is not a word that I would use to describe your two year old year. Other words I would use to describe your personality this last year would be; too funny, too wild, too hugable, too mischievous, too strong willed, too loveable, too independent, too talkative, too curious, too much of a candy lover, too much energy, too much of an attention seeker, too kissable and sometimes you are just too much for me to handle because your too cute!

Yesterday we registered you for pre-school. You were so excited to drive down to the school. You kept asking me if you were going to be able to ride the school bus. "I want to ride the bus mamma", is what you kept telling me. I can't wait to see you develop and grow this next year. I am so proud to be your mamma. You are such a blessing!! We love you oh too much!!

Happy 1st Birthday Jesi!!

2010-07-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

Today is Jesi's first birthday! Wow. I can't believe it. She is growing into such a fun little lady and getting more and more personality every day. Last night we headed to the park to take some fun birthday pictures. I ordered her birthday outfit a couple months ago off of etsy so I was pretty excited to put it on her and capture some shots. We are having a birthday party for her on Sunday afternoon since I have to work today. This lil girl has brought so much joy to our life!

1 year old facts:

Weight: 23 lbs

7 teeth (four on top and three on the bottom)

She loves to EAT and wants to eat what we are eating.

She wants to play and run around with the BIG kids.

She is a great sleeper and often gets rocked to sleep because she is a Mama's GIRL.

She is laid back most the time but if you make her mad she sure does have a TEMPER:)

She is starting to hold her own when Ivy tries to take a toy from her.

She has the big baby blues and cheeks I could pinch and kiss ALL day!

She is a little DARE devil.

She LOVES animals and SINGING.

Not quite walking yet but is standing by herself a lot.

She LOVES watching the washer and dryer.

She is so used to wearing a sock on her hand that she willingly puts her hand in it when I hold it up:( Hopefully her thumb will be healed up soon and we won't have to do this for very much longer.

She seems way too LITTLE to be becoming a big sister soon!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY JESI!

We love you SO MUCH!

This is what summer is all about

2010-07-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

SUMMERTIME!

Summer finally feels like it has arrived. We have been spending a lot of time at our friends pool trying to keep cool.

This is Ivy trying to force Jesi to look at the camera. These two are hilarious.

Ivy is really starting to love the water. She is still timid at swim lessons although I can't blame her because the instructor is a bit obnoxious. Last time he started splashing around to make a wave pool. It scared Ivy and we had to sit on the side again. We are making progress though and that is always good.

Attempting to stay cool inside of our apartment that is without air conditioning.

All that swimming and playing makes for some tired babies.

Cheers to summer and sunshine! I hope everybody is enjoying the weather.

We call her "mitten"

2010-07-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

"Mittens"

We took Jesi in to have her stitches removed last night. Her thumb doesn't look as healed up as I hoped it would but the doctor thinks that it will heal fine without needing surgery. We still have to keep it bandaged and have two more doctors appointments scheduled for next week.

Snack Time

"I will trade you my teething biscuit for your cookies:)"

These girls love this cardboard box. They play with it all of the time. It is funny how kids will play with "non-toy" items more then they will play with their toys.

Dr. Ivy

I think we have been to the doctor way too many times in the last couple of weeks. Now Ivy is playing doctor. Jesi just doesn't get a break.

Brush, brush, brush!!

Ivy is at it again with the comb. Jesi seems to be getting used to it. What are big sisters for anyways?

Love these little munchkins of mine!

True Invasion of Privacy

2010-07-02T16:25:00.000-07:00

Jesi follows Ivy everywhere...even to the bathroom:) It has been very enjoyable watching these two as they both are growing up and are able to play and interact a lot more. The last week and half has been extremely busy and hasn't been the best couple of weeks we have ever experienced. Here are a few things that have been going on;

Jesi fractured the tip of her thumb on her left hand and lacerated a significant amount of the skin on the tip. Ivy was running by a chair and bumped it over. Unfortunately, Jesi was crawling around close by and the chair fell on the tip of her thumb. She had to have her first trip to the ER. She had to have four stitches to hold the skin in place. We have had five doctors appointments since the ER visit for assessment and to receive dressing changes. The bone was exposed and so they are watching the skin closely to make sure that it will reattach and fully cover the bone. If the skin has problems reattaching she will have to have surgery to shorten the bone. We are really hoping and praying that this will not be the case. The doctor says that it looks good so far. We have two more appointments scheduled for next week. Her left hand has a huge bandage in place to splint her thumb as well as protect it from all of the crawling that she does. We have had to tape a sock over the dressing to keep her from picking at the gauze and pulling the dressing off. It has been exhausting and stressful. It is so hard to see your baby in pain. She has definitely been a trooper through all the doctor visits. We can already tell that she is a tough little girl. I can't believe that she is going to be ONE this month! Wow.
Ivy started swim lessons. It is a parent-tot class from 6 month-3 years old. Ivy hasn't been in the water much and I really want all my kids to learn how to swim. We have had one class so far. For half the class Ivy hung onto my neck like a cat thrown into the water. She definitely wasn't loving the class. Finally, we sat on the side of the pool and observed the class for a little while. I definitely don't want to push it. She is one of those kids that has to go at her own pace. After watching the other kids from the side of the pool and receiving a pep talk from an 80 year old man that was swimming near by, she decided to re-join the class and seemed to enjoy it. We go again next week. My fingers are crossed:) She did tell me that she wanted to go down the slide into the big pool. NO! Let's tackle the basics in the kiddy pool first before you attempt anything like that, wild child.

There is always time to give baby sis a hug!

This little one is on the go. She didn't want to lay there long enough for me to change her diaper AND button her onsie.

Oh boy, what will it be like with a third. HELP:)

P.S. I have no energy right now. I felt pretty good through the second trimester but ever since I started my third trimester I just want to sit down and drink iced tea. I know that this is a very practical lifestyle with a two year old and an eleven month old running around. Luckily Danny is a huge help and has been stepping up to help out with cooking, cleaning and laundry so that I can lounge around a lot more then usual.

Attempted camping trip #2 of summer

2010-06-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

Danny and I had planned on going camping for four days from Sunday to Wednesday. Well, Sunday came around and we still had lots of family that were in town for Dennis' memorial so we decided to stay home and spend time with them before they left. Monday we had everything packed up and ready (it took us a good 2 days to round up and organize everything). We were loaded down; tent, pack n' play, sleeping bags, food, diaper bags, toys,etc.... It was a lot of work and I was beginning to think that this really didn't feel like a vacation. We headed to our destination camping spot "Fisherman's Bend". When we arrived the river was a lot higher then it usually was due to all the rain and the water was very swift. We decided that it wasn't the safest/most relaxing place to camp with two small kids. After hiking around for awhile we got back in the truck and decided to head to Tumalo state park to camp. Tumalo is right outside of Bend so we thought that we could camp and visit family members all at the same time. Of course we stopped and Rosie's Mountain Cafe on the way for a hot latte and a scone. That is a must. When we got to Tumalo State Park the camp sites were very close together and it was very crowded. There wasn't any room for the kids to run around unless you crossed the street and went to the day use area. We thought we might as well just head to my parents house and camp on their property because we would have a lot more room and have access to bathrooms and hot water. Back in the truck we go....We arrive at my parents house. By this time we are all a little tired out. We went in the house, relaxed and looked at the guest rooms that had beds and down comforters....hmmm. Why don't we just sleep in the house tonight and find a place to camp tomorrow? We went to a local fishing store and inquired about several camping spots. We picked a destination and planned on heading there in the morning.

Tuesday morning comes along and we drive out to Lava Lakes. Finally we were going to be able to camp, until.....SNOW. About 3-4 feet, hmmm....this will not work. At this point we have picked up a hitchhiker that is riding in the back of our truck. He flagged us down and wanted us to drive him up the road to his friends car where he left his key. He was clean cut and very non-threatening looking. We drop him off at his friends car and turn around. We decide to head back over the mountain and find a camping spot near Detroit. We stop at Rosie's Mountain Cafe again...I think it is physically impossible to pass this place without stopping. We had lunch and let the kids have a break from being in their car seats. It was nice and sunny while we were eating lunch. By the time we got back in our truck to head to a camp site it was pouring down rain! Our tent was in the back getting rained on as well as all of our bags. We decide to keep on driving past the camp site and head home. Lesson learned; Snow+rain+two small children=unfavorable camping conditions:)

We did not give up on outdoor adventures. The next morning we headed to coast to do some fishing. We had a friend watch the girls for a few hours. Danny took me to his favorite fishing hole outside of Hebo. There is a farmer that owns some property and he will let you on his land to fish if you pay him a dollar. We walked about 1/2 a mile through a cow pasture dodging cows and cow pies until we reached a fishing hole on the Nestucca River. There were a couple other fisherman there. We were only there for about 10 minutes when Danny hooked into a 8-10 lb Steel head that was two feet long. I was so excited! You would have thought I was the one that caught it. I think that we made everyone else mad as they had probably been there for hours fishing and here we come along and Danny catches a huge fish after a couple of casts. I love spending time outdoors. It is good for the soul. We are planning on going again tomorrow morning but this time the girls are going to come. We found a kid friendly spot while we were out exploring yesterday.

Outdoors+fishing+big fish=One happy man

Ivy was very intrigued by the fish. She asked me "fish napping mommy?" Yes he is very tired:)
I will take credit for being Danny's good luck charm:)

Other happenings from the week....Jesi had her first haircut. I have mixed feelings about the results but it needed to be done. She had two long strands in the front that looked like wings and it was short in the back. At least it is evened out now. By the way she is also on the move! She is crawling everywhere, pulling herself up and can stand by herself for a short period of time.

These two keep us busy.

Ivy was running outside when she tripped and hit her head on the sidewalk:( She has a good size goose egg on her forehead but it sure doesn't slow her down any.

Jesi (pre-hair cut).

A girl after my own heart, softball glove and cowgirl boots. I love my little Ivy Marie.

First camping trip of the summer

2010-06-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks. We were able to get away and go on our first camping trip of the summer the weekend before memorial day. My parents, brother Jon and sister in law met up with us at Shuttle Lake and we also celebrated my birthday. It was such a nice camping trip because there was hardly anybody there. It was a little chilly but we still had a good time. Ivy loves to camp and get dirty. We are wanting to go on a lot of family camping trips this summer and are planning our next getaway for next week.

Apparently Jesi makes a wonderful pillow for Ivy

Our good friends from Idaho also met up with us at the camp ground. We haven't seen them in forever and it was awesome to see them and their two kids. This is their adorable son Caden. Ivy is quite found of him if you couldn't tell:) Cute.

Snuggles by the camp fire.

My Dad making some yummy breakfast on the camp stove.

So we weren't roughing it too bad as this lodge was about 50 feet away from where we were sleeping. The inside of the lodge was absolutely beautiful and they had complimentary hot coffee, hot choc and tea as well as lots of board games.

Winding down and getting ready for bed. My children do not like wearing clothes. I guess the barbie doesn't either.

This is what Ivy packed for the camping trip. Danny and I were busy packing and loading up the truck so Ivy started putting on her hat and all of her purses.

May has been a great month.

In loving memory of Uncle "De De"

2010-05-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

Uncle Denis went to be with the Lord this week. It is hard to get through this post without tearing up. Uncle Denis was such a special person with an amazing personality. Denis is Danny's grandparents son and he had down syndrome. We had the priveledge of living with him for eight months last year. Ivy was especially attached to him and everyday we would find her in his room hanging out with him. They had a very special bond. She doesn't know that he is gone and still prayers for him every night. Every time we drive by his house she says "De De". He lived such a good life and was such a fighter during the past couple of months when he was in and out of the hospital. Uncle Denis will always hold a place in our hearts and we will miss him dearly. He loved the Lord and was one of the most sweetest people I have ever known.

We love you Denis and will miss you but we are glad that you are up in Heaven and not suffering anymore.

More Hawaii pics

2010-05-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

Snorkeling at Molikini Bay

This was one of my favorite adventures during our trip to Hawaii. It is a completely different world under the water. It is so quiet and peaceful. The fish and turtles were incredible.

These are the fish that attacked me after I threw up in the ocean. I was glad that there wasn't anyone close to me.

Last night on the beach.

23 weeks

We had a wonderful time in Hawaii but we were very happy to see these two little faces!!
.

It's a.......

2010-05-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

GIRL!!!

I can't believe it. We feel very blessed. I would write more about it but it has been a long day and I am ready for bed. Just thought I would spread the news before I went to sleep:)

Aloha

2010-05-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

Danny and I got back home last night around midnight. It was definitely time to rescue the babysitters:) We had such an amazing time. I am so grateful for the alone time we were able to have before baby number three comes. Some of the highlights of our trip were; taking the drive to Hana (which is a narrow road that winds through the rain forest), snorkeling, swimming a couple feet away from a huge turtle, going to a luau, having Starbucks on the beach, enjoying some amazing sunsets, taking a boat ride out on the ocean, hiking to see several different waterfalls and eating lots of tasty pineapple! I definitely want to document our trip in more detail but I do not foresee that happening until next week.

Beautiful sunset on the beach

Handsome hubby on the beach

Fruit stand on the side of the road on the drive to Hana.

Showing off the baby bump finally:) 23 weeks already...Only four more days until we find out the gender!

The beach that was close to the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at.

Side notes from our trip:
We returned home to find all the laundry done. Floors were vacuumed. Fridge was cleaned. Toys were put away. My herbs were replanted into larger pots (something I meant to do before leaving but didn't have time). Our front door was fixed. My bedside lamp had a new light bulb. Fresh towels were hung up. Bathrooms were clean. Children were clean. All I can say is: THANK YOU MOM:) My parents watched the kid for the majority of the time we were gone. It was as though little elf's visited our house and fixed and cleaned everything. You are really encouraging us to leave the kids with you and go on vacation more often:) So nice to come home to a cozy and clean home.

Bloopers from our trip:

We arrived at the airport around 6am on Sunday morning and parked in long term parking. I guess we were distracted because we didn't pay attention to the floor that we parked on. Well, last night after we had landed and got our bags it took us a good 45 minutes to find our truck. We rode the elevator up and down, up and down. It was so ridiculous and funny. It reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where they can't find there car in the mall parking garage. Next time we will definitely pay a little more attention.
When we were out snorkeling in the Molikini bay. I swallowed some sea water through my tube which made me gag, which made me vomit into the water. I then was attacked by a bunch of the fish which ate it. I know it is gross. It was also a little scary and exciting all at the same time when so many fish were swimming around me.
Two times we were asked if we were on our honeymoon. Kinda funny since I am big and pregnant now. I know that it probably happens a lot but it just humored me.

To Do List

2010-05-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have a lot to do today....But am still laying in bed, drinking coffee and snuggling with Ivy. In the mornings we have lazy time. When Ivy wakes up she comes up to my side of the bed with her blanky and wants to snuggle with me and watch a movie....ummm okay. She hits the ground running after this snuggle time so I enjoy it while it lasts.
Here is my list of things to do today...

Laundry (probably about four loads)
Pack
Pack bags for the girls
Confirm flight through website
Write out an itinerary for my parents who are watching the girls the first two nights and our friends who are watching them the following two nights.
Clean apartment
Clean out the fridge
Call co-worker to rearrange work schedule
Pick up prescription for my patient and drop off

Okay well now that I am writing it out it doesn't sound like all that much. But I think I will get out of bed and start 'crakalakin'. Especially since Ivy has now crawled out of bed and is trying to take off the babies shirt.

Precious moments

2010-05-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

Last night it was Ivy's bedtime. I was laying next to her in her bed and we were saying our prayers. Every night I will say a prayer and when I say "Amen". She will say "more". So I will say another prayer. Last night when I was done praying I said "now it is your turn to say a prayer". This is what she prayed "tank you for [uncle] Jon, [aunt] Chrissy, Duke, Daddy, Mommy, Gramma, Papa, swimming, jumping, kids, toys, [jelly] beans, Amen!"

It melted my heart. I want to remember that forever. So precious.

Hawaii!!!

2010-04-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Since we have been married we have been talking about going on an island getaway but then life continued to get in the way...surgeries, babies, moving, etc....Yesterday I got fed up and thought we better go now for three major reasons, 1. I will be too fat to fly soon 2. next year we will have three kids three and under (who will be willing to watch them??) 3. Why not??
I don't know if it was a hormonal surge or just an intense feeling of desperately needing a vacation with the hubby before baby number 3 comes but I texted Danny after looking at flights and asked "Do you want to go to Hawaii next week?". Much to my surprise he gave me the green light. Within one hour I had someone to watch the kids and had bought the plane tickets. Yippee! We are going to Maui for five days and four nights. We fly out from Portland on May 9th:))) I was able to reschedule my ultrasound appointment for the following week, May 18th...So the suspense will continue (boy or girl??, Lil Herman or lil Gertrude??)

I think the best way to describe my feelings at this time is "spastically giddy". Seriously things keep flying out of my hands because I am so excited. Bottles, toys, etc....(I am still able to hold on to my children) but I feel like I have had 10 shots of espresso. Cheers to Hawaii!!

Lil Miss Jes...9 months old

2010-04-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

Lil Miss Jesi you light up my life more then you will ever know. You are such a great addition to this little family of ours.
9 Month Stats:
22 pounds
2 teeth
wears mostly 12-18 month clothes
Sleeps from 8pm-8am usually with one bottle at 6am

Miss Jesi is nine months old now. She is such a sweet baby with cheeks that you just want to kiss and squeeze all day long. I am trying to cherish these days with her because I know that she will have to grow up fast with another baby on its way. Jesi has a laid back, sweet spirit and loves to be held and cuddled. She is sleeping sooo much better at night and I have more energy because of it. Currently I am 22 weeks along. I still have yet to take a picture of the baby bump. It is on my "to do" list , but it isn't very high up there I guess. This pregnancy is flying by! The thought of having another baby is slightly overwhelming. Danny and I are getting ready to sell one of our trucks to buy a vehicle that is more "family friendly". Over the last years I have definately learned the importance of being able to adjust to changes in life and embrace them. A week before we found out I was pregnant, Danny and I had a conversation about wanting to wait three years before having another child because we loved they dynamics of having two kids. The ratio of parents to children was equal 2:2. Come September we will be outnumbered. I think that God may have been laughing at us while we had this conversation because I was already pregnant:) So cheers to a possible mini-van in our future, lots of diapers, crying, sleepless nights, laughter, smiles and everything in between the messes that make life beautiful.

Only 12 more days until we find out if it is a BOY or a GIRL. Danny thinks it is a girl and I think it is a boy.

Lil Miss Ivy

2010-04-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

We have been on a little mini vacation. I had the last ten days off of work so the girls and I headed to Bend for five days. My parents, my three brothers, my sister-in laws, my grandma and eight of my nieces and nephews live in Bend. We keep pretty busy. There is always somewhere to go, something to do and somebody to visit. We had a great time.

These are just some pictures from the last couple of weeks of Miss Ivy:

Mesmorized by an airplane in the sky.

If you have been around Ivy very much you know that she is ALWAYS on the go. People will ask me "Does she ever get tired?". Here is proof that she does:) Most days she will still take a long nap in the afternoon. If I am lucky Jesi and Ivy will go down at the same time.

2010-04-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

This week has been very eventful and I have been spoiled:). Sunday night me and one of my best friends since the sixth grade went on a girls getaway to The Oregon Garden Resort. She called me up a few weeks ago and invited me on an all expense paid over night vacation. How SWEET is that:) We had a great time. We meet up there around 4:30, hung out and chatted until our dinner reservation that was at 6:30. We both had an awesome dinner that came with a complimentary bottle of wine, (dang). No wine for this mama, what a tease. After dinner we walked around the gardens even though it was getting dark . We walk across the field to the fountain instead of taking the path because it was a shorter distance. Our feet ended up soaking wet and there were quite a few pot holes. It was a fun little adventure. After that we headed to the pool/hot tub. I just sat on the edge and soaked my feet and then attempted to go swimming in the pool. However it was a little cold. Being that it was outside, unheated, night time and I guess wasn't technically "open". It honestly felt like river, glacier water. I got half way in and then thought I was probably going to put my unborn child into shock....especially after sitting by the hot tub. That is probably over dramatized but all it all it was a little cold. After that we headed to the lounge, where there was live acoustic music, a huge stone fire place and lots of comfortable seating. We split the most amazing chocolate brownie with ice cream on top:) Yum. It was so delicious. In the morning we had breakfast with a fabulous cup of coffee with cream and then walked around the gardens again. If you live close to S, it is definitely worth checking out. There are lots of different garden themes to inspire people and show them the different types of landscaping that is possible in the northwest. There is also a kids garden. Around 10:30 we both headed home. It was the perfect girls getaway with great uninterrupted conversations, uninterrupted sleep, laughing, great food and good company....I am thankful.

Tuesday: Danny scheduled for me to have a massage (I must be looking haggard lately or something) People are thinking I need vacations and massages. That was relaxing. She went really light on my back since I am pregnant. That was also kind of a tease since I really wouldn't have minded if she pulled out a jack hammer and rammed it on my back so that she could get the knots out. Working in the ER isn't the friendliest on your back because you are constantly lifting, pulling or holding a kid down (sounds like fun doesn't it). The other day I had to give a 6 year old boy a shot in the tush so I asked another nurse to come in and help hold him. He was the strongest little kid and was moving around so much. When we got done the other nurse said, "That was like being a calf wrestler at the rodeo". I couldn't have explained it any better myself . It made me laugh and I was glad I was the one giving the shot and not holding him down. Anyways, after my massage appointment I went over to the park where Danny was coaching his 12 year old boys soccer team. When I pulled into the parking lot I saw the cutest, best scene in the world. Danny was holding Jesi and Ivy was running around kicking the soccer ball with the boys. It was so cute. He is such a good dad. I stayed and put a blanket down on the grass. Jesi sat on the blanket and played with toys and Ivy kept running around by the blanket and then would come and sit down. She started saying "missed!" when the boys would shot on goal and not get it in the net and then she would laugh. It was one of the funniest things I have ever heard her say, mostly because I didn't even know that she knew that word and she was using it in a mocking tone. Who is this little child of mine?

Wednesday: One of the scariest moments of my life happened. We were up at the barn where we board our horses. I was holding Jesi and Ivy was walking in the isle looking at all the horses in there stalls. All of a sudden I hear Danny yell "Watch Out!" from the arena. Right after that two horses bolted out of the gate and were running right down the isle toward Ivy. Luckily she was standing on the side of a wheel barrel so the horses slowed down enough for me to be able to grab her and pull her out of the way. Talk about a mini heart attack. Right after that I took the kids home. I was shaken up and Ivy wanted to go home too. I couldn't stop thinking about what could have happened to her. That night after a bath, some stories and rocking. Here this precious little girl was in my arms, unharmed and ready for bed. I was so thankful for God's protection.

Thursday: Official TAX day....although I had completed them two months ago. I waited to file them until the last day...I will never do that again as I had technical difficulty and was on the phone with H & R block a couple different times. Couldn't e-file, didn't get off work until 11 pm (was scheduled to get off at 7pm), had to print out 43 pages late at night and was at the post office by midnight. I was glad to see I was not the only one. I blame no one but myself. This is what I have learned from this tax season:

A: Next year we will definitely pay an accountant to do the work.

B: I will pay quarterly tax on my business.

C: I am glad I am not an accountant. I have new respect for them!

Friday: Today...am at work...Jesi is asleep....my patient is eating his snack with coffee...Danny is coming by for lunch with Ivy...it feels like Saturday....I wish it was Saturday because then I would have tomorrow off.

I am officially done rambling:) Blogging is so therapeutic.

18 weeks

2010-04-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

Baby Agee number 3....on it's way

Yes, yes, it is true. Baby Agee number 3 is on it's way. LOL. Yes I do find this situation slightly humorous. Although this baby is arriving a couple years before "planned", we are thrilled about our growing little family. His or her due date is September 9th. Which is our anniversary and it was Ivy's due date.....hmmm....Interesting... This pregnancy has flown by so far! Probably because my other two monkies have been keeping me so busy so I don't have much time to think about it. I am definitely getting a belly and will post some pics as soon as I take some. My ultrasound appointment is scheduled for May 11th:) I don't think I have ever been as eager to find out the sex of the baby as I am this time. My doctor is going out of town pretty soon so that is why I have to wait another four weeks. Danny and I bought an over the counter gender prediction test at Walgreen's last night (we are really patient people, can't you tell??) The test said that it was a boy.....we will see. We were also suppose to wait to take the test until the morning and we took it as soon as we got home (another example of our patience) So it might not be that accurate....We will see.

On another note...Since my last post (the one where I was crabby and sleep deprived), Jesi has been sleeping SO much better at night. I feel rejuvenated. Jesi is my sweet little love bug and a bit of a mommy's girl. She spends lots of time with me since I get to take her to work with me (unless I am working at the hospital). She has a very sweet, laid back personality and it balances out Ivy's stong willed, wild, fiesty side.

And then there is Ivy, my spirited little 2 year old that occassionally speaks with a Spanish accent. Here are a couple examples;

Jesi........."Hesi"

Games....."Hames"

Love these girls!

Sisters

2010-04-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

2010-04-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

These two faces always cheer me up:)

Busy Week

2010-04-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

I am going to refrain from typing too much at this time because I'm pretty sure any thoughts that come out of my mind and radiate down to my fingers to the keyboard will come out and I will sound like a crabby, cranky, tired woman. TIRED. That is what I am right now and I feel like turning my cell phone off and throwing it into the Willamette River. I am pretty sure the cure to my emotional exhaustion would be cured with eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. This week has been busy. I was called into work a 13 hour shift in the ER on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday we had "mandatory" training and education at the hospital. Wednesday was quite interesting as we were part of an educational video coordinated by OHSU, in which we were filmed rescuing and saving the life of a fake person, aka a dummy. If you think it is awkward taking a CPR class in which you have to give mouth to mouth on a dummy, try being filmed while you are dressed up in full on trauma gowns and masks and treating a rubber doll as if it is a 7 year old who is unconscious and not breathing. After we stabilized and "saved" the life of the dummy, life flight had arrived in a real helicopter and the dummy was life flighted to a bigger medical facility. This is not a joke. There is a lot more that went on that day but I don't really have the energy to go into the details. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays I work 11 hour shifts taking care of my elderly patient. Currently I am at that job and have 3 and a half more hours of work left and then I will have three days off. I am glad that this week is wrapping up and there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am excited to hang out with my family tonight and get ready to celebrate the resurrection of Christ tomorrow. Danny and I went shopping for the girls Easter dresses last week and Ivy is very excited to wear it tomorrow. Almost every day this week when she wakes up she says "Church?". She is wondering if it is the day that we are going to church and celebrating Easter so that she can wear her dress. She just melts me. I am already starting to feel better as I write this. I have vented. This was a challenging and strenuous week but now I am starting to think about the next few days and it is giving me something to look forward to.
My goals for this next week so that I can become rejuvenated and turn this cranky, tired mama into a pleasant one;

Allow Jesi to cry herself to sleep. She is almost 9 months old and still waking up around 3 times a night. Yeesh. Not good. I really need to stop reinforcing that pattern because it is wreaking havoc on both of our sleep schedules. I need to stop caring about waking the neighbors up (this will be hard as I am already worried about it as I write this). I guess that is one of the prices to pay to live in an apartment right? Putting up with noise.
Pull out my champion Juicer and start juicing again.
Get a massage.
Spend lots of time with my precious munchkins:)
Sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep.

2010-03-26T07:06:00.000-07:00

Snuggling in the double stroller. The best purchase I have ever made. They are immediately quiet when they are sitting in it being pushed around:)

Jesi in her Sunday morning church dress. Size 12 months and slightly tight. LOL.

Riding off into the sun

We had to stop a couple times on trip to the beach so that Ivy could get out and get some fresh air. She gets car sick pretty easily, especially on those windy roads on the way to the coast. She already threw up once on the trip.

Refresh tea from Starbucks:) It is the best especially when I drink it out of a mug with my munchkins on it.

Jesi only woke up once last night at four o'clock. I fell asleep at 10 last night, so that was 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep which left me feeling refreshed. Unfortunately, I had a hard time going back to sleep since my alarm was set to go off at five fifteen. I started work at 6 o'clock this morning. Usually I start work at 8 am but the nurse on shift wanted me to come in early so that she could go to Seattle. I drifted off to sleep around 4:45 to have the craziest dream about an extremely large baby sitting on a couch calling me "mamma". (This baby was bigger then a grown adult). I remember screaming in my dream and then woke up to find that it was 5:20. I think I might have hit the snooze without knowing it and then had the dream. Who knows. Anyways, usually I bring Jesi to work with me but today I came alone because I need to take my patient to run a couple of errands. So other then my day starting out with a nightmare about an extremely large baby the rest of my morning has been peaceful. My patient is still sleeping, so his house is quiet and I am just listening to some music and drinking a cup of coffee. Hopefully, I can sneak a nap in today since my patient usually goes back to sleep for a couple of hours after breakfast. This is by far the easiest nursing job I have ever had. I am grateful to have a job like this. It is still hard being away from Ivy on the days I work but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Speaking of Ivy....that girl...When I went into rock Jesi back to sleep at 4 o'clock this morning, I looked over at Ivy to see that she was completely naked. I can't keep clothes on that girl for the life of me. Luckily her bed was still dry so I put a diaper and pajamas back on her. She didn't even wake up the whole time I was getting her dressed. It made me laugh. Ivy is a great sleeper (once she is asleep). She definately fights having to go to bed and tries to pull out all the tricks to prolong her bedtime such as, asking for water, saying that she needs to go potty on the big potty (keep in mind she has no interest in becoming potty trained until it is bedtime), reading a book, watching a movie, kissing the baby,asking for choc milk or a vitamin...the request are endless. She usually goes through the list on a nightly bases and suffers rejection from most request:) She knows I will always get her a drink and let her sit on the potty and she usually will get a vitamin if she hasn't already had one. I know that it won't be like this for long so I am trying to cherish all of these little moments even though it tests my patience. I am so thankful for my girls. What a blessing they are to our lives.

Pacific City

2010-03-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

Two days ago we headed to Pacific City. Danny and I had the day off, it was sunny and the beach was calling our name. After going to the beach we were going to go eat a crab sandwich at our favorite resturant, The Riverhouse, but when we pulled into the parking lot all of the windows were boarded up we found out that it had caught on fire. They are in the process of remodeling which is great because the food is seriously amazing!

Ivy pretending that her cup is a kite.

The infamous baby and "buggy". If Ivy had it her way the buggy and baby would sleep in bed with her. Yesterday we went to Wal-Mart and she wanted to bring it in the store and push it around. Whenever we go anywhere she pushes it out to the truck and then we load it up in the cab.

Sweet little girl tuckered out from all of the activities of the day.

2010-03-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

These are some of my favorite pictures from the last couple of weeks because it reminds me of some moments that I will always treasure. I definately feel like motherhood has been working me over lately. Jesi has been waking up on average of 3-4 times a night ever since we moved into an apartment complex. She will start crying so loud and feel like I am going to wake the neighbors up so I can't just let her cry it out. That has definately been wearing me out. Other then that our days have been full of activity. With a 2 and 1/2 year old around there is never a dull moment. Ivy is my little shadow around the house. Everything to putting toliet paper away to cooking she is there wanting to "help". We are loving the warm weather and with the combination of parks near by and the double stroller we have been outside soaking up the sunshine whenever we get a chance.

This is Ivy looking out the window and anxiously awaiting the arrival of her friend Emma. Emma is Ivy's "best friend", she talks about her constantly. They are the most dramatic couple of friends I have ever laid my eyes on. Emma spent the day with us this week. They have a love/hate relationship. They will be hugging and playing really well and then all of a sudden they will be fighting over toys, screaming and pinching each other. By the end of the day I was wishing I had a whistle and two cages to put them in:)

The girls; Jesi, Ivy and Emma. Ivy and Emma invited Jesi into their "house" for a brief amount of time and then after awhile decided that they no longer wanted her to stay. Poor little Jesi, getting picked on by the older girls.

8 month stats: 2 teeth and weighs 20 lbs:) I put a pair of size 18 month jeans on her the other day and the button kept popping open:) Oh how I adore you Jesi!

I don't know if you have ever seen the YouTube video of "Charlie bit my finger". This picture makes me laugh because it reminds me of it. Even though Ivy can be a bit of a bossy boss when it comes to her sister. She still loves to cuddle and play with her. Whenever Jesi wakes up from a nap, Ivy says "Mornin!" and gives her a kiss. These girls make me a happy mommy and make even the most sleepless nights worth it.

I can't get enough of my lil Jesi

2010-03-09T12:32:00.000-08:00

Happenings from the last couple of weeks

2010-03-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

Jesi is now seven months old and cut her first bottom tooth. She has been working on that one for awhile. It is the cutest tooth ever.
We took a trip to Bend to meet our new little nephew Jonathan Duke "Johnny". He is a very adorable baby. He seemed so little and light weight compared to Jesi. Made me realize how big she is getting, even though it seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital.

Sweet little Johnny Duke. I love him. My parents now have 10 grandkids!

Danny training his colt. My favorite way of relaxing is to go ride the horses and groom them. We still haven't found the perfect name for this little colt yet. If you have any great horse names, let me know:)

More cooking.....yummy....this was a mushroom sauce that we put over BBQ steak.....why do I love food so much! If I had a lot of free time. I would go to culinary school.

Wrestling with Daddy...

Ivy dressing up in her Pirate costume and doing her "pirate dance" for company....typical.

Sister movie date....watching Teach Your Baby to Read...yes the one off of the infommercial (we received it as a gift). It is actually a really good program.

Jesi helping me in the kitchen...

Lots of cooking...yum

Chicken Marsala

2010-02-26T13:31:00.000-08:00

Danny and I have been on the hunt for the perfect chicken Marsala recipe for a couple years. In Boise our favorite restaurant was an Italian place called Carraba's and we would always order their Chicken Marsala. Since then we have tried a few different recipes and none of them came close to this one. This recipe is MONEY. So if you are in the mood for something tasty and a little gourmet, give this recipe a try. It is worth the effort.

CHICKEN MARSALA

1 3/4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 oz. mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (2lb total)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry Marsala wine
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 200 degrees.

2. Bring broth to a boil in a 2 quart saucepan over high heat, then boil, uncovered, until reduced to about 3/4 cup (about 20 minutes)

3. Cook shallot in 3 tablespoons butter in an 8-10 inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until shallot begins to turn golden (about one minute). Add mushrooms, 1 teaspoon sage, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Put flour in a wide shallow bowl. Gently pound chicken to 1/4 inch think between 2 sheets of plastic wrap using the flat side of a meat pounder or a rolling pin.

5. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, 1 piece at a time, shaking off excess. Transfer to sheet of wax paper, arranging chicken in 1 layer.

6. Heat 1 tablespoon of each of oil and butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then saute half of chicken, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through (about four minutes total). Transfer cooked chicken to a large heatproof platter, arranging in 1 layer, then put platter in oven to keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and cooks remaining chicken in same manner, then transfer to oven, arranging in 1 layer.

7. Add 1/2 cup wine to skillet and boil over high heat, stirring and scrapping brown bits (about 30 seconds). Add reduced broth, cream, and mushrooms, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened (6-8 minutes). Add lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons wine and 1/2 teaspoon of sage.

Serve chicken with sauce. We usually serve with some fresh french bread and a salad.

Anxiously awaiting

2010-02-19T16:31:00.000-08:00

I am axiously awaiting my new purchase. The Schwinn double stroller! Woo hoo. I found one on Craigslist for a smokin deal. My parents picked it up for me in Bend, where it is being held captive until we can go pick it up (hopefully the beginning of next week). I also cannot wait to get over to Bend to visit my new little nephew, Jonathan Duke Lemke, who was born last week.

I am glad that I am not anxiously awaiting this kid cart down below. Could you imagine having that many little kids?? You would need a seperate garage to store that baby in. I can't imagine that a parent of that many small children would look so chippy and energetic as the woman in the picture. Maybe she is just superwoman.

Ivy Quote

2010-02-16T22:03:00.000-08:00

Today Ivy was in a silly mood and eating a piece of string cheese. Ivy and I started joking around and this is the conversation that played out;

Me: "Ivy, can I call you a cheese head?"

Ivy: laughing says "No!"

Me: "What can I call you then?"

Ivy: "Woman"

Woman, are you kidding me. Where does she come up with this stuff? She keeps me entertained, I love this little girl.

2010-02-13T09:14:00.000-08:00

Dear United States Government, after completing my taxes for 2009 I would like to personally thank you for the following;

Inspiring me to not work as hard in 2010
Making the thought of quiting my job, going on the Oregon Health Plan and collecting food stamps look appealing.
Thank you for punishing my family for working so hard in 2009. I will make sure it never happens again.

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-12T18:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day Babe!

I love you so much!

just some pics

2010-02-04T10:26:00.000-08:00

Art competition

2010-01-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

My brother Jon and I have always had art/drawing competitions growing up. I know it sounds kinda nerdy, but we really got into it. These are our finished products from our most recent art competition.

My painting of a tiger

Jon's "self portrait", this picture makes me laugh so hard because his wife and I forced him to draw a self potrait of himself. He is obviously thrilled about it:)

I won!

Question

2010-01-24T18:40:00.001-08:00

Has anyone out there ever lived in an apartment with two small children? If so was it functional, or was it a nightmare? Wanting some perspectives. Danny and I are thinking about downsizing for a year so that we can pay off my student loan. We have decided to step down from the opportunity to purchase the home that we are currently renting which is on 70 acres. It would be a dream come true, but now is not the time for us to have that responsibility. I appreciate the feed back. We want to make a good decision that will work for our family.

my babies

2010-01-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

Attention those interested in starting a book club

2009-12-29T00:06:00.000-08:00

I have officially started a new blog titled, Book Club 2010 for those of you who expressed interest in starting a book club. It is http://www.bookclub2010.blogspot.com/ or just click on the link on my profile page. Each month we will read a different novel.

Welcome Book Club Members:)
I am so excited to start this book club. It has been difficult deciding what book to pick out for our first month because I didn't want to pick something that nobody wanted to read. The book I have chosen for this month is Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. It is a Focus on the Family book. I choose this book because frankly I think I need some help in this area and who doesn't need help understanding the opposite sex...they are kinda confusing...However, females are not confusing at all:) I thought each month we could alternate between a challenging, biblical, applicable to every day life novel with ones that are just plain great classic novels (such as Pride and Prejudice). Not necessarily that one specifically but just really great pieces of literature. We can all alternate picking out the novels.

I am excited and I hope you are too!!!
I will be sending each member of the club matching bookmarks!!!!

Alligators and bulls

2009-12-28T21:03:00.000-08:00

Ivy is helping me with this blog post. She is obsessed with bull riding and alligators....go figure. If I put a movie on and it isn't the "bull" movie, she starts crying. Ivy loves to look at alligator pictures and especially loves it when I pretend that it bites me:)

2009-12-23T01:10:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that Christmas is only a couple days away. I am not going to lie, I have not really been in into the holiday season this year. It feels like most days I am just trying to survive and embrace what God has given me. Life is busy taking care of two kids, working, being a wife, taking care of the horses, building relationships, cooking, cleaning....the list almost seems endless. But I hope as we soon embark on this wonderful Holiday and celebrate the birth of Jesus that I can "be still and know that He is God". I love that verse because it seriousy calms my soul. I usually love to decorate and dive into festivities but this year is different for me. I hope that next year things will not be as hectic and we can celebrate with some more Christmas traditions. I think that traditions are fun and important, don't get me wrong. I love them.
Tonight I picked up a shift in the emergency department. It was unusually slow. The majority of the patients that we saw were frequent drugs seekers. My attitude can get so bad when I take care of these patients. I constantly have to keep my attitude in check. I mean really how many times can someone "fall down" their own stairs. And then when you know they are faking it to get narcotics you have to play into their pain complaints and ask them questions such as, where does it hurt? how would you describe the pain? is it an ache, burning, sharp, pinching, pulling, pressure, etc....??? How would you rate your pain on a scale of 0-10? It is usually a 9 or a "15". I am sure that they can tell by my body language that I don't care. Anyways, my point to this rambling is that I started to feel guilty because you know what how sad is it that they feel so low that they have to fake a complaint to get drugs. They probably dont have a warm, loving place to go home to and maybe they never have experienced that. Regardess, why am I even judging. I am constantly in need God's grace and forgiveness. I am constantly in need of an attitude check. I hope that this next year I can learn to embrace people for who they are regardless of if they are smelly or "crazy". The one thing God has truly taught me this year is that every day is a gift and I need to be thankful. I am officially winding down after this rant, rambling or rave. Whatever you want to call it. As I sip on my cold glass of reisling (that was suppose to be for Christmas dinner) and look upon the fire that is barely visible through the huge mound of laundry that needs to be folded, I contemplate life. I am so thankful for my husband, two daughters and a warm snugly home. I hope that everyone's Christmas if filled with simplicity, peace, joy, thankfulness, love, giving, happiness and celebration.

5 months already

2009-12-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that Jesi RaeLynn is already 5 months old. I have officially concluded that she is at the best age ever. She is old enough to sleep through the night, yet not old to move around:) I love this chubby blue eyed baby so much and she is such a great addition to our little family. Jesi is such a mama's girl and Ivy is a huge Daddy's girl. If you are ever at our house you will hear us say to each other "your kid needs her diaper changed" or "your kid is hungry". It is a joke between the two of us but that is usually how we end up tag teaming the chores around the house. This isn't a very exciting post but I am at work and both my patient and the baby are sleeping so I am a little bored. We are planning a suprise Christmas party for him tonight. The other nurses are coming over around 6:30 and bringing food and a Christmas tree. I love this job!!

This is such a bad picture but I think that it is funny. My friend Katie took this picture of me when she lived with us and couldn't stop laughing about it because she said I looked "white trash". Don't ask me why I feel like posting it.