What's Been Goin' On

First French braid! :) Mom's pretty happy about this since I did it WHILE I was talking on the phone AND she sat here the whole time :) My girl and "sitting" don't really go hand in hand :) (Thank GOODNESS for PBS :)

 On Thursday after the "Day at the Farm" we came home for naps and got ready to entertain some of our friends. Husband had a track meet, Mick was outta town and Ali's hubs was away for work. Just the Mom's and kids... what a GREAT time.

 Silly Girls... YOU try getting them all to look at the camera at the same time :)

AND in other VERY noteworthy news.... We are PSYCHED that we got a new dishwasher... well... Country Mouse is... doing dishes by hand for the past 3 weeks... I'm SOOOOO.DONE. Olden Days? Who wants to live in the Olden Days? :) Bring on modern comforts!

And I thought 35 TEENAGE girls were silly :)

These two like to come up with names for the baby in my belly... they *think* they are hysterical...


OK, so do I :)

Back at the Farm

A day on the farm and my girl couldn't be HAPPIER :) On Thursday we had play date at Ali's house and it's been a long winter for my girl who LOVES being here :) They even have some new barn yard animals... She wasn't QUITE sure what to think about them....

but she warmed up :) Lil' on the other hand was a HUGE fan of the piggies... fondly? refered to as "Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner" :) I love farm humor :)

My girl was more interested in trying to "catch" (tackle) her friend Mabel to give her some LOVE :)

 UNTIL... it was HICKORY TIME! :) This girl LOVES her friend's pony....

This little host just LOVES... HE IS THE HAPPIEST :) Such a content little man!

Yeah, I'd say Minnie was THRILLED to be back at "the farm" :)



TRACK IS HERE... TRACK SEASON IS HERE!! :)

and Minnie thinks... what could be better than 35 teenage girls playing and eating CAKE at HER house? :)

 Especially since she was the ONLY one who WANTED that huge chocolate cake (the other girls went for desserts that were on the breakfast bar :)

and then the opportunity to play with the (other 1/2 of them) girls? AND have them ALL cheer when she makes a basket :)

 Good for the self-esteem :)

They came, they ate and they left an hour and 1/2 later. A GREAT time :)

April Vacation...

Has come and gone... and I have but two pictures to show for days spent laying in the grass at track practice, time spent with Sky and Daws, windows open and tanned faces and arms... but I hope my one and only picture shows... we sure did have FUN with all of that... and MORE. The last vacation before summer... and I am GIDDY thinking about time with this guy in the pool, in the garden and on the deck. :)

Minnie Videos

Translation: Minnie and I had gone to Target a week or so ago and there was a kid SOMEWHERE in the store blowing a whistle all through the store... it was SO loud and SO annoying :) On the way home from the pool Saturday night Minnie recalled the story on her own and told it to her Daddy... I turned around and tried to capture it on video :)



Translation: The CountryRents have missed a bit of church being gone from home for over a MONTH.... she "called" them to make sure they were going to make it this week :)

Wednesdays in the Womb: 23 Weeks

How far along: 23 Weeks

Net weight gain/loss: up 24lbs ~ yes that's just about a 1lb a week for those keeping track... yikes

Maternity clothes: Yes ~ and sadly some of THOSE are not fitting anymore... we are in TROUBLE this summer...

Stretch marks: nothing new, but they are getting a bit itchy...

Belly button: Out ~ serious turkey timer

Sleep: I do LOVE it... toss and turn a bit and I'm up 2-4 times a night to pee but not too bad

Baby movement: YES! :) LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

Food cravings: Not really...had to get pineapple and peaches while at the store last week but I haven't yet opened them... not sure what that's about

Food aversions: Mexican and Husband cooking french fries in the oven

What I miss: My cute summer clothes

Looking forward to: Well, we had an appt on Monday where we found out all KINDS of good stuff... my BP was 100/58, Baby is STILL a girl :) and measuring 1lb 4oz and is in the 50%. She is already doing some practice breathing in there and was opening and closing her mouth. Husband was a little concerned she was chatting it up already! :) Doc was so happy with my blood sugars that I don't have to go back for another month (love getting treated like a "regular" PG girl :) They are super happy with how things are going, therefore, so am I :)

A Post for "Yiz"

because on Saturday night...some of it was 75% off... :)

A Weekend to Celebrate

It was a long time comin' but we had to wait for 1) him to come home 2) festivities of Easter to be taken care of and 3) the first FREE weekend SINCE FEBRUARY :) Remember someone turned 60? We were finally able to spend the weekend celebrating in all kinds of different ways with CountryDad! :) On Friday night we (the adults? seriously? when did JJ and I become the "adults"?) all went out to a GREAT Italian restaurant in the "big city". None of us had been before so I was a little nervous but it was GREAT food and my only complaint is that I didn't get CountryDad's dessert :) Special shout out to those that were home putting the little ones to bed so that we could all enjoy each other's company and spend a full TWO HOURS eating, talking (shouting... really... it was LOUD) and just having fun! The CountryRents spent the weekend in the "big city" at a hotel and we all took full advantage of the pool amenity. JJ and his clan headed up in the AM to get some good swimming and fun in and then we went up after Minnie's nap. She was BESIDE.HERSELF! The girl LOVES to swim and had SO much fun "doin' some jumpin'" :)

I think the CountryRents had just as much fun just watching her! :)

I do fear we will not get this little fish out of TiTi and Uncle Yee-In's pooool this summer :) Good thing for Chloe-Belle... the other fish in the family :)

After she jumped into the pool about 456,000 times we went back up to their room to change, hang out and figure out what we were doing for dinner... Twist my arm... Pizza Hut it was :)

I surprised CountryDad with a lemon meringue pie ~ one of his fav. desserts... I could have CRIED... this thing looked SO much better just out of the oven... :( Did NOT travel well...

but...it ATE...

JUST FINE :)

Love yah Dad! Hope you enjoyed the quiet? weekend ~ we sure did! XOXOXOXOXOXO

Wordless Wednesday: EASTER 2012 ~ My Family of FOUR

BEDHEAD

split ends anyone? Aunnie J.T.....HELP!

She makes us giggle EVERY.DAY.!

Best Way Outta a Funk

a SURPRISE visitor :) who drove cross country with her roommates to surprise her Mom (and friends) for Easter... Jeepers was my girl happy... and how cute that Husband, knowing what was going to go down on Saturday... put Minnie in that shirt... it says B-Ball Girl ~ love him!

In REAL life...

Lest you should all think that things are always garden parties, sunshine and smiles... what's REALLY been going on... Minnie and I have been sick... sore throats, (well me... she just says yes to whatever I ask usually) bugger faucet out her face, coughing herself awake at naps and lots of whiny, fussy time... In REAL life I still feel sick most days... not all day but at some point most days... I don't think I remember what it feels like to feel "good".

In REAL life it takes everything I have to put one foot in front of the other. I don't know if it is an iron deficiency, just the part where I'm growing another human being, or the fact that I'm chasing a 2 year old. It's the REAL LIFE where it is beyond tired and just feels like I literally canNOT move.

I drop things (like big beefy scissors) and put dents in my hardwood floors, I spend my days calling to order the WRONG contacts for Husband after making myself a NOTE on WHAT side to ORDER and fighting with the insurance company because they are charging a deductible for a REGULAR OFFICE VISIT.

In REAL life we ask this girl to take a "No Thank You Bite" of spinach during a lovely roast chicken dinner that I made for Husband and 3.5 minutes into our dinner she proceeds to yiff up everything from her afternoon snack through the spinach... and then follows it up with... "I no yike the spinach Mom"....quickly following the clean-up of yiff and finally sitting back down to enjoy said dinner that I am reminded I ordered the wrong contacts which apparently was the last straw... that day :) I ended up sitting on the toilet seat crying my eyes out while Minnie hollered from her high chair... "All done the cryin' Mom? Whatcha doin' Mom?"

but in REAL life... today is FRIDAY, it's our LAST "wimming wesson" the sun is shining, without knowing all of the above crazy, CountryMum got me a gift certificate to have my haircut, and I have an AMAZING Husband that picks me up OFF the toliet seat cover and holds me just telling me everything is fine... it will be OK

but MOST important... it is Easter weekend. Jesus died for MY sins and rose again on the 3rd day... I am blessed. That should be my REAL life perspective :)

OVER a weeks worth of CATCH-UP

but some of these pics are just too sweet NOT to share... :) Minnie and I made popsicles when our weather was in the 80's... and brought them over to share with the O kiddies... I foresee many more of these days in my future... a penned in yard, a place to sit and fun times chatting with friends...

The ham of the show... he was the only one not a HUGE fan of the pops... ah well.. can't win 'em all :)

FINALLY were able to shoo "Yiz" and her sweetie out on a date night. Between having little Cam-Man and me with my sickies we have missed our time with the Pheeb-a-miester :)

These two are sweet friends :)

On the way to Lu-Lu's post wedding "shower"... 15 min. on the way there and no nap for the rest of the day. I take pictures like this to help me when she's MELTING DOWN from a LACK of sleep... :)

These two came over to help me out with a "special" project....to be revealed at a later date... so far though I think I need to keep track of how MANY people are making this "project" possible... and I'm up to Heather O, R-Clan, the Y gals and now the CountryRents are up :)

We sure have been having fun, getting things done and oh yeah... I'm still growing another human being... :)