Apple Orchard

A few weeks ago we took a quick trip to an apple orchard to get some super yummy apples.  We started out late in the evening knowing that it wouldn't give us very much time, but still wanting to try and have a good time.  We didn't have time to do much of anything before they closed, but the kids enjoyed playing around with some of the decorations.  

We had a fun time and the apples were delicious.  We ate lots of them and also made a yummy apple crisp and applesauce with the apples that we got that night.

Baby Bump-36 weeks!

This might just be the last preggo picture I get to take.  I hope so.  I'm ready to have this baby and I am so thankful that I have been able to carry him this far.  I think that he will be here by next weekend but he could still surprise me and take a little longer.  

Random Happenings

We have been a busy bunch this fall.  I was really nervous signing my kids up so many activities because of all of my preterm labor issues, but we have managed to make it through almost everything (our last swimming lesson is tomorrow night)  First up was Ashton's soccer he played through the Y and did a great job.  He went into it not really knowing that much about soccer but really wanting to play.  He has improved by leaps and bounds every week I am so proud of him.

and you gotta love the tongue.  It's his concentration face I guess cause he does the same thing in baseball.  

And how can you not have a good time when you have this cute of a cheering sections.  This was a cooler day for soccer but it was still fun.

All three kids have had swimming lessons again this fall and are doing great.  They are all learning so much and having a good time too.  The only downside (for mom) is that Abbie and Ashton have them first and then Lexie is in the next time slot so we are at the pool for what feels like forever to me.  But Abbie and Ashton love it because they open up one of the pools for open swim when their lessons are over and they get to swim for fun while Lexie has her class.  As an extra bonus Jake has been coming when he gets off work and swimming with the kids.  Sorry no pictures of lessons, they don't allow cameras in the pool area.  

Lexie is involved in two different plays this fall, one with school and one with the Sheldon (a local theatre)  she is having a great time and is now constantly walking around the house singing something.  For the school play she is part of the production crew, and she is part of the children's choir on the community play.  I am proud of her for stepping out of her comfort zone a little and doing these plays, she is really enjoying herself.  (No pictures here either)

A few weekends ago Jake and I had a really fun Saturday date, he bought a shooting experience a few months ago and then we had a heck of a time finding a date that we could go and use it.  Well that day finally came and it was so much fun, even if I didn't actually shoot very much.  It was just fun to be together.  I am so glad that Lexie is able and willing to babysit for us so we can take the time to do fun things like this once in a while.  

Here is Jake at one of the stands.  It was a shot gun range so I was in charge of setting off the clay pigeons.  

And how can you not have a good time when it is this pretty where you are.  

Baby Bump 34 weeks

34 Weeks!

This little guy will be here before we know it.  I am super excited.  Only a few more weeks, unless this little man is setting out to prove me a liar by making me go full term.  But I really doubt my body will let me stay pregnant that long, I have had a low backache like back labor for the last three days, I think the progesterone shots are the only thing that is keeping me pregnant right now as it is.  Guess we will see.  

School Pictures

Score! All three of my kids brought home great school pictures this year!  I am so happy because I just haven't felt like getting out there and taking my own of them (didn't last year either) so finally I have some updated pictures to put on the wall and send to grandparents.

 Abbie preschool

 Ashton 1st grade

Lexie 7th grade

Baby Bump-30 weeks!

I made it to 30 weeks.  That seems like a crazy thing to say when you are pregnant and still have 10 more weeks to go, but after the last month it seems like a miracle.  As for the 10 weeks thing, I doubt I will make it through more than 6 or 7 of those, but technically that is what I have left.  I just can't wait to meet this little guy, especially after getting those 3D ultrasound pictures, I can't stop looking at his cute little face, I made it the background on my phone so can see him every day.  Now if I could just quit having contractions......

Labor Day Weekend

I know that I am "nesting" already.  I have endless lists of things that I want to get done.  I have been making and freezing all our favorite dinners for when I just don't feel like cooking.  I am sure that there are going to be plenty of those days ahead, because we already have them, more that I would care to admit.  I'm cleaning and organizing like nobody's business, and it is rubbing off on the rest of the family.  (I'm not sure if this nesting is a good thing or not because I still have 10 weeks left if I go full term-I know not very likely- but if I am already nesting and have been since we got back from Utah then how early am I going to have this baby?)  Anyway, everyone has been helping all along, some more willingly than others, but on labor day weekend even Jake had a case of "nesting".  

A little back story....When we moved in this lovely pink carpet was everywhere...

Even in the dining room under our table.  Carpet under a table and kids just don't play well together.  We've cleaned it many, many times in the year we have lived here and it is just plain gross.  Plus, it's PINK.

It's really nice carpet; think, nice, plush, expensive carpet it's just plain ugly.  Pink, mauve whatever you want to call it, it's just ugly.  I know a couple of people that would disagree with me, but it is ugly grandma pink to me.  I would never pick it for my entire house, not even one room.  But I don't get a say, and we are renting for now so we couldn't even replace it with something else.  Well that was until we talked to our landlord about it this spring.  He said he was going to replace all of the flooring when they move in and he doesn't really care what we do because they plan on getting rid of all of it anyway.   Hallelujah!  We knew that we could rip it up, it was just a matter of timing, meaning Jake having the time to tackle such a major project.  

Well, that time came on labor day weekend.  I told Jake that one of the thing on my list was to clean all of the upstairs carpets because they were so dirty, again.  We talked about how sick we were of cleaning that dang carpet under the table and that really needed to take advantage of our landlord giving us permission to tear up the carpet.  The sooner the better because then we could get the most use out of it.  Jake hit the sales flies and guess what?  Flooring was on sale at Menard's and Jake had the whole weekend off.  Time to get rid of that gross carpet.  We spent most of the weekend ripping up the carpet and putting down the new floor.  I think it turned out just grand.  

It is not the color I would pick if it was my house, but it isn't and this matching the existing woodwork so this is what we got.  And it looks really good.  

And the best part is I never have to clean the carpet under the table again!  I am so thankful that I have a husband that can fix anything!  He also replaced the disposal in the kitchen that week.  I love my new floor and I really love my husband!

Abbie's First Day of Preschool

Abbie has been waiting for this day for a long time...and the last week has been especially hard for her since the "big kids" have already started school and she had to wait until today.  

We went in and found her name tag 

and the cubbie to hang up her backpack.  

Then she took off for the sand table.  

She had a great day and said that her favorite thing was the painting easel.  She is going to have a great year.  

I LOVE technology!

I had an ultrasound today to check the baby's growth and some other things that they didn't see well on the last ultrasound.  It was awesome to get to see our little guy again.  I have never had 3D ultrasound before but look how cute

The ultrasound wasn't done in 3D but they took a couple of the shots and turned them into 3D.  It was amazing to watch the layers kinda peel back and unveil the baby's face.  

Oh, and apparently we have another chubby monkey on our hands... based on how many weeks I am he should be weighing right around 2 pounds.  The ultrasound estimate puts him at 3 pounds 5 ounces.  

Ashton's Birthday

Yesterday was Ashton's 7th birthday!  I cannot believe that my little guy is getting so OLD.

He had school on his birthday for the first time.  So he got to open presents after school.  He was so surprised by this, we got him a Nintendo 3DS which he really wanted but we told him that he would probably have to wait for Christmas for it.... It has been played non stop since coming out of the box, by him and Lexie.

He asked Lexie to make his cake, so after school she made this masterpiece for him.  

Decorated in his favorite colors orange and blue.  

He chose to go to Green Mill in Hastings for his birthday dinner, we all had good food and a fun time.    It was another low key birthday for us, which is just fine with me.  I prefer quiet family parties verses friend birthday parties, plus I was just not up for a bunch of kids running wild around our house this year.  

I promised the kids that next year they can have friend birthday parties since it's been at least two years since they had friend parties.