I will not feel guilty about not sending Christmas cards

At least that is what I have been telling myself over and over in my head, trying to convince myself it is true. This is yet another guilt trip I have allowed myself to take. Since motherhood, I have traveled down this road of what I think I should be doing, measuring myself against others and the "standard". (I think there may be a resolution there!) And at this time I feel like I should have sent a Christmas card to all of my friends and relatives. But the reality is that I did not. The desire was there, but I just could not make it happen. And Christmas came and it was absolutely wonderful. The children were happy, we had a great time with all of our family and it really didn't matter that I didn't mail out those cards. Really, most of the people I am closest to read my blog. So here is an online version of what I would have mailed to you! :





The Prevette Family wishes you and yours a very merry Christmas and a blessed new year!

Christmas Questionaire

I was "tagged" twice to do this fun, Christmas questionaire. So either my friends Dawn and Beth really want to know some fun facts about how I celebrate Christmas or they were giving me the kick in the rear I needed to finally post something!



1. Egg nog or Hot Chocolate? Definately hot chocolate!


2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? We don't do Santa at our house. We want to be sure that we are telling our kids the truth and that we are celebrating the real reason for the season. If our children are to believe in a man that they cannot see, I want it to be Jesus! However, we told Anagrace that people like to "pretend" about Santa at Christmastime and she said she wants to pretend, too. Pretending is fun and that is fine with us! But the presents are from mommy and daddy. We get the credit for that! And we (and by we I mean I) wrap them; it is just more fun to unwrap a gift, I think!

3. Colored lights or white?White.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Sometimes, I didn't find it in the boxes of decorations this year. Our decorations are simpler this year than in years past. Three children will do that....so, yeah, not hanging mistletoe is probably a good thing right now!

5. When do you put your decorations up?The Saturday after Thanksgiving

6. Favorite holiday dish?Hmmm, I like the sweet stuff. Sweet potato casserole and any dessert!

7. Favorite childhood memory? Celebrating Christmas at Disney World with my dad.

8. When/how did you learn the truth about Santa? Some little boy at school told me, in the second or third grade.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? No, that's cheating!

10. How do you decorate the tree? We bought an artificial last year. It is one of those tall, skinny "pencil" trees. It is pre-lit (what a blessing). We put on the red wooden bead garland first. Then add our ornaments, which are a mixture of some from my childhood, some from our first year of marriage, and all of the "baby's first" ornaments.

11. Snow. Love it or dread it? Love it. I really hope I get to go skiing this year.

12. Can you ice skate? Kind of.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Yes, my engagement ring! Justin proposed Christmas of 1999.

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays to you? Celebrating the birth of our Savior with my husband and children!

15. Favorite holiday dessert? Tough choice, I love them all. I miss the spritzer sugar cookies my grandmother used to make. I make fudge every year.

16. Favorite Christmas Tradition?We started a couple of traditions with Anagrace that will be fun with all of the kids in the future. We read the Christmas story and set up our nativity scene on the mantle. And we bake a birthday cakefor Jesus on Christmas Eve to eat on Christmas morning...there is no other day of the year that cake is allowed for breakfast!

18. Do you prefer giving or receiving?I like both. Finances and indecisiveness cause some stress with giving, but I still enjoy it. And who doesn't enjoy receiving?

19. Favorite Christmas song? I'm not sure of the title, "Night Divine" maybe. It's the one that says "fall on your knees and hear the angels' voices, oh night divine, when Christ was born"

20. Candy canes. Yum or yuck? I'll eat them occasionally. It depends on my mood.

21. What do you want for Christmas?This is just a want in general, I know I can't get it for Christmas...I really want to close in our screened porch and make it a playroom.

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party? Yes, we attend Justin's company Christmas party.

23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear P.J.'s? This year we will dress up because we will attend Elevation's Christmas Service.

24. Do you own a Santa hat? I don't. Anagrace has one.

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? Most of our family live close. So over the course of the weekend, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we see parents, grandparents, brothers, aunts, uncles , cousins, neices,nephews, ...

I'm going to break the rules and not tag anyone. Instead, I'll invite anyone out there who wants to participate to post this on their blog! Let me know if you do! Merry Christmas!

A Post about Gratitude

I intended to post this at Thanksgiving, but you know how that goes. A bit late, but here it is:


Pastor Steven preached a few weeks ago about money, and how we all are rich. We are so blessed to live in America and live like we do. He explained that we are all rich, we just need to change our perspective. He gave a series of examples like:

"If the heat goes out in your house, that's a rich people problem. If your car is not the latest model, that's a rich people problem. If you lost money in the stock market...If you can't sell your house..." Just about every problem we have can be turned around to show how blessed we are if we can just step back and change our perspective. Here are a few that I thought about this Thanksgiving:


I am thankful that we celebrated Thanksgiving at 3 different locations, that means we have a large family that is close by. We can see them on the special holidays and all throughout the year!


I am thankful that I am exhausted, that means I have a small baby to care for, to hold, to nurse, to snuggle on the couch with in the wee hours of the night/morning. Some women are up at night longing for that very thing.


I am thankful for my messy, noisy house. The floors are covered with Cheerios, crumbs, books and toys. It is loud with the sounds of squealing and laughter (sometimes crying and whining), but that means I have healthy children that run and play in our home. They grow up too fast!


I am thankful for the pile of my husband's work clothes on our bedroom floor, that means he has a job to go to and is able to provide for our family. And when he gets home he is willing to change clothes and spend some quality time with his family. He is a wonderful husband and father!


I am thankful that my body doesn't look the way it used to, because that means I was able to carry and birth my babies. But I am also thankful that the jeans I bought a few months ago look horrible on me now, because that means my gym visits are paying off! And...


I am thankful that I am almost thirty, because that means I may be able to replace those jeans with some new ones for my birthday!


See, a negative attitude can be turned into gratitude! It really has helped me to put things in perspective.


I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that your heart was full of joy and gratitude.

A Picture That Made Me Laugh & A Picture That Made Me Cry

Here is a picture that made me laugh:

Caption: "I can't believe you just called me fat!"

And here is the picture that made me cry:

Caption: "I don't need Mommy anymore".

I know that is not true. I have just felt that way everytime one of my children took their first bottle. Just a sidenote: I am not giving up on breastfeeding, just trying to get it to where I can have a break every now and then!

The Fourth

And no I am not referring to a fourth Prevette child! My dear friend, Dawn (who by the way recently did have her fourth child), tagged my to play this little "bloggy game". You must write a post about the 4th photo in the 4th file of your computer. So here goes...

This is a picture of my precious daughter, Lily Anagrace. It was taken in April of this year. She has those pink sponge rollers in her hair that I think all mothers make their daughters wear at some point in their childhood. I had her hair cut a few months before and the ringlets that she had for four years disappeared. I was so sad. It was a realization that she was not a baby anymore. And in an effort to keep her "my little girl" I have tried multiple techniques to put cute little curls in her hair. She does have some curl left, it is just not like it was when she was younger. Her hair is very curly at her hairline, around her forehead and at the nape of her neck. So, I've tried making the length of her hair look the same. The sponge rollers were the first attempt. We've now moved on to rag rolling her hair with socks. I know, I know! Justin thinks I'm crazy, but I've only got one little girl and I'm going to fix her hair until she refuses to let me do it anymore!

Fun-filled Weekends

We have spent the past two weekends on the road to some fun destinations. Our first roadtrip was to the NC mountains. His aunt and uncle live close to Asheville, and we (along with about 15 other family members!) stayed at their house. I enjoyed the extra help caring for the kids. The highlight of the trip for Justin was a mountain biking excursion with his uncle. And the kids favorite part was the trip to the Farmers' Market.

Anderson loved listening to the band play . And he especially loved eating the fresh mountain apple on the car ride home!

Anagrace picked out several pumpkins to take home with us.

This past weekend we traveled to Columbia, SC. My dad went along for the ride; Anagrace really enjoyed spending time with her Pawpaw. We had a great lunch and visit at my aunt and uncle's house before heading to the zoo. We all had a blast!

The kids really enjoyed checking out all of the animals. Anderson was so excited that he got to walk around the zoo, instead of being in the stroller. We borrowed a "kiddy leash" to use. I used to say that I would not use one of those things, but it worked really well!

Anagrace rode a real pony and took a ride on the carousel too.

Anderson on his "leash" looking at the rabbit in its cage.

An update

I can't keep up with this blog. I feel like I can't keep up with my life! Here's what the kids are up to:

Anagrace says "I love being five, but I just don't want the shots they give five-year-olds at the doctor!" She loves chasing Anderson around the house and making him squeal. She is trying to save up money from "chores" to go to Build-a-Bear workshop. She loves that place...I wish I had invented that concept! She names each one of her stuffed animals, and walks around the house calling their names in search of them. I have no idea how she keeps up with all of their names. I have a hard time keeping just three names straight! Her favorite stuffed animal at the moment is a bunny she named Mimzy. She named him Mimzy after a bunny in a movie that she watched with my mom. The movie was apparently very sad and left an impact on Anagrace. As a result, she is very interested in all things rabbit. She even requested a bunny rabbit theme for her birthday party. It would have been much easier planning for that theme if her birthday was close to Easter. But, it still turned out great.

Anderson is such a funny boy! I laugh at his silliness all the time. Still flexing his muscles regularly. He knows how to show his teeth to smile. He loves to brush his teeth. Everytime he passes the bathroom, he says "teeth" as a request to brush them again. You've got to love a kid who is passionate about oral hygiene! He is starting to say more and more words. I love to hear him talk as opposed to the caveman grunts he usually tries to communicate with. He is a loving little boy, too. Likes to give hugs and lay his head on your shoulder, he is a little more stingy with his kisses. Maybe he thinks he should brush his teeth first!

Ashton is growing like a weed! I can't believe he is almost 3 months old! He is smiling and cooing. He still won't take a pacifier. That would really make car rides a lot more enjoyable. I keep trying, but I think he's going to be a hand-sucker. He doesn't put just his thumb in his mouth, it's the whole fist. He is trying to learn to roll over, but hasn't quite figured it out. He loves to lay on the play mat and "talk" to the hanging toys. He slept for a 6 hour stretch a couple of nights ago, but not again since. I still have hope, though.

So, there's an update of the three littles ones that consume my time and energy and at the same time fill me with joy, love and happiness.

My Little Girl is Five!

I cannot believe that 5 years has passed, since my precious daughter was born! Really, where did the time go?

It was on September 16th, 2003 at 8:19pm that we welcomed Lily Anagrace into our world. We wanted to be surprised as to if our firstborn would be a girl or boy. I was overjoyed to have a daughter! She has been everything that I would hope for in a daughter and more. She has grown from a calm,sweet-natured baby to a loving, compassionate little girl. She is a big sister twice-over and tries to be a second mommy to her little brothers. She is playful and encouraging with Anderson and gentle and comforting to baby Ashton. She is really good about thinking about how others would feel. Even when she was deciding which cupcakes to take to preschool, she was concerned that the boys would not want to eat Hannah Montana cupcakes and she wanted to buy them "boy cupcakes".

She is a collector of many things...rocks and acorns, dum-dum wrappers and small scraps of paper. And she has a great imagination. She will make up games and play with her dolls or Barbies by herself for a long time. She is very inquisitive. Lots and lots of questions! (It must not be a coincidence that Curious George is one of her very favorite cartoons). "Mama" was her first word, a word now that is NOT used sparingly. I hear it multiple times a day preceding her questions. My most favorite thing to hear is her saying "I love you", which she also does often along with one of her sweet kisses and hugs. She is the most precious little girl I know. I am so glad that God gave her to us five years ago today!

Anagrace on the day she was born... look at that head full of dark hair!...Cute as can be in her hat on her first birthday ...

Posing with her best buddies, Jordyn and Josh, at her 2nd birthday...

Starting to look less like a baby and more like a big girl at 3...Blowing out her candles just last year...
My beautiful 5 year-old...

A Funny Conversation with my Almost-Five-Year-Old

A few days ago, we were listening to the song Ammunition by Switchfoot, which has a line in it that says "We're the issue". Here's the conversation that followed:

Anagrace: Mama, what's an issue?
Me: It's kinda hard to explain, umm....
Anagrace: Is it like, when you blow your nose?
Me: No, that's is a tissue. An issue is like a problem.
Anagrace: Oh, so if our dog was stuck in a hole and there was fire around the hole, would that be an issue?
Me: Yes, that would be a big issue.
Anagrace: So, if it was a little dog stuck in a hole with no fire around it, that would be a little issue?
Me: I guess so?!

Has it been 7 weeks already?!

Wow, it has been a really long time since I've posted anything. Life has been crazy busy! And that is an understatement. By the way if you haven't heard of bloglines, you should check it out. You can subscribe to multiple blog feeds that you read and you don't have to keep checking the sites to see if slack bloggers, like myself, have posted anything.

When I was pregnant, a lot of people told me "going from 1 to 2 was harder than going from 2 to 3", and to them I just want to say "liar, liar pants on fire"! Just kidding! I'm sure it would be a lot easier if the second and third were spaced a little further apart than mine, maybe that's the difference. Anyway, we are "surviving". When anyone asks how we are doing my reply is "Hanging in there". That's just how it feels right now. I'm sure I'll get in the groove eventually. I did find a way to hold both boys at once!

(Can you see Ashton's head right up under my chin?)

Ashton is a sweet baby boy. He's starting to smile and it just melts my heart. He has reflux, which makes him fussy... a lot and want to be held...all the time. It is very difficult to see him hurting and not be able to do much for him. He is on medication to relieve the discomfort and we're still working with the pediatritian to try and manage it. He is such a chubby boy despite the puking! My other two were skinny babies, with no spitting up whatsoever...go figure. I just love all of his rolls and those cheeks...I can't stop kissing them!

Let's see,what else...we went to the beach. We went the week that Hurricane Faye sent lovely weather to the coast. The weather was okay the first day we arrived, but after that it rained everyday. Every. day. We were trapped in our cabin with our 3 children. Fun! One night we even lost power. Anyone ever nurse and change diapers by flashlight? I don't recommend it!

At least we had a few good hours on the beach together.

So, that should catch you up for now. Hopefully, I can post again soon.

He's Here!

Ashton Price Prevette was born at 1:28 a.m. on Thursday, July 17th. He weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces and was 19 inches long.

The circumstances surrounding his birth were something that I could not have predicted. On Wednesday afternoon, Anderson began vomiting around 2:30p.m. After picking Anagrace up from preschool, she, too, began vomiting. By the time Justin arrived home from work, we had two very sick children. And about an hour later, my water broke! My mother and mother-in-law came to the rescue to care for the kids, while we rushed to the hospital. I was so upset! The situation at the house was so stressful, that I didn't realize how strong or close my contractions were until we were in the car on the way to the hospital. I was 3cm by the time we checked in at 7:30p.m. The labor went fast; six hours later we were holding our precious baby!

And five hours later, Justin was vomiting. He had to go home to get well. I definately did not want Ashton or myself to get the stomach bug. It was an interesting experience being in the hospital by myself. Justin was able to return on Friday afternoon. Luckily, the stomach bug was a quick one. Everyone was feeling much better by the time we came home on Saturday.

The days since then have been a blur. I am not getting much sleep at night. Justin is staying at home this week, so he has been caring for Anagrace and Anderson during the day so that I can attempt to rest. He told me that he plans to double my salary!

Anagrace and Anderson, so far, seem to be adjusting well to another sibling. Anagrace talks sweetly to him and wants to put him in all of the baby gear (swing, pack-n-play, bouncer) or hold him. Anderson is intrigued by him. He will just walk over and stare at him or softly touch him on his head, toes and fingers. The past few days have definately been interesting and I'm sure the days to come will be as well. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to blog about it, though!

I am Ready & the Room is Ready For.....

Well, we finally put the finishing touches on the boys' room last night. Justin hung the letters spelling out our sons' names on the wall and he fixed the broken mobile and put it on the baby's crib. Those were the only things left on my "before-baby to-do" list. Well, I do need to pack some clothes for Anagrace and Anderson to stay at my mom's while we are in the hospital. Then, that's it!

I posted pictures of Anagrace's new loft bed a while back. And I promised then that I would post pictures of both of the completed rooms. (Her room is still not technically decorated. There are no pictures on the walls, no nick nacks, or finishing touches. That may have to be a "birthday project" for her in September!) But, I will post the pictures of the boys' room since it is all done. In doing that, the baby's name will be revealed as it is hanging on the wall above his crib...

When Will This Baby Arrive?

I am constantly wondering when this baby will make his grand entrance into the world. I am beyond ready! Well, physically anyway! I am still anxious about the whole life change and especially the transition for Anderson.
Just curious if anyone had predictions on when he'll arrive. Check out the poll on the right to vote!

Our Little Firecrackers

I am posting some pictures of our "little firecrackers" from Independence Day. They light up our lives and ignite wonder and delight in us. And they definately keep us on our toes! I can't believe in a few short days we'll have a third to add to the craziness!

We had a great time on the 4th...parade, swimming and fireworks.

Here they are patiently waiting for the parade to make its way to us:

Anagrace was particularly proud of her patriotic fingernails and toenails:

Both of the kids did great staying up to watch the fireworks....waaay past their bedtime! There were no tears, whining or even fear of the loud noise! Here's sweet Anderson ready for bed:

Warning...This post contains excessive whining!

Feeling miserably huge and uncomfortably hot. Nothing fits...growing out of maternity clothes. Tired, but can't sleep because of frequent urination, night sweats and awkward sleeping positions. Body aches. Ready to get this over with! Less than two weeks to go...really nervous about adding a third child to our family!

Learning New Things

Anagrace is learning to ride her bike without training wheels! She can ride several yards by herself and hasn't had too many wipeouts. She is usually pretty apprehensive about trying new and difficult things, but she has been very persistent with learning to ride her bike "like a big girl". If she falls down, she gets up, dusts herself off and wants to try again. I took several little video clips of her practicing at the park, but only downloaded one. I chose this one because there's a bonus to the video...at the beginning Anderson walks into the frame and then back out again. He is quickly learning new things, too, and I don't think he will have much hesistation at all with trying scary new things. He's got the walking thing down pat...working on running and climbing, now! He had a great time exploring at the park while Anagrace practiced riding, even tasted the dirt on the baseball field! Just another difference between girls and boys, I guess.

No More Mullet!

My grandmother trimmed Anderson's hair on Wednesday...his first haircut. It took him forever to even grow hair, but it seemed that the fastest growing part was in the back. It looked like a little mullet. There were these little wispy hairs that would poke out behind his ears and trail down his neck. It drove me crazy. So my grandmother, who back in the day worked at a beauty shop, got out her cape and scissors and cut off the mullet. I have it saved in a plastic baggie!

Me and the Celtics

What do I have in common with the Boston Celtics? We both beat our opponents...really "whooped" them!

Justin and I haven't been sure what to do with ourselves since Anagrace has been gone. She left on Saturday to go to the beach with my mom, stepdad and stepdad's family. She will be gone a total of 7 days! That is the longest we've been without her. It's been pretty tough on me. Had it been me going away on vacation for 7 days, I may be handling it better now. But being at the house without her here is hard; I miss her.
So, Justin and I watched the NBA Finals several nights. Not a typical thing for me to watch sports, but I actually enjoyed keeping up with it. We also pulled out Scrabble the other night. I forgot what fun it was to play board games! We were pretty close in score in the beginning, but then in one turn I created 3 words (something I have never done in my past Scrabble playing), I felt like the Celtics when they came back from their 20+ point deficit in game #4!

So the final scores:

NBA Finals Game #6
Celtics 131
Lakers 92

Prevette Scrabble Game
Chelsea 237
Justin 167

Dunlap Syndrome

Do you know what Dunlap Syndrome is? That could be one of Jeff Foxworthy's "you might be a redneck" questions. Let me explain. Dunlap Syndrome is southern slang for an expanding belly...as in "yer belly has dunlapped over yer belt". I, unfortunately, have Dunlap Syndrome.
I remember when my dad turned 50 my grandmother told him that he was approaching the time in life where he would have to decide "over or under". She was referring to whether his belt and pants would be over or under his belly. My dad's belly is not yet big enough for him to worry about that now, but if and when it is he will go under (not the same decision his father made).
Anyway, my over under decision is different and thankfully temporary. Lately, rocking Anderson is a challenge. I am not sure if I should put him under the belly. When sitting my lap is almost non-existent. Or should I put him over the belly? Then, he is almost around my neck. Either way it is awkward.

Summer Blog Break

Well, it appears that summer break equals blog break. I have had a hard time finding the time to update my blog. We have been busy lately. Justin and I went on a short getaway to North Myrtle Beach the weekend after our anniversary. We decided to celebrate the weekend after because it was so difficult and expensive to book a place on Memorial Day weekend. We had a wonderful time lounging on the beach, floating in the lazy river, and just having conversations without little voices interrupting. We even got to witness a wedding on the beach...which brought back sweet memories from our wedding 7 years ago.
The kids and I have been swimming several times. A few times at my in-laws' pool and once at the YMCA with our friends the Masseys. I think that we will be poolside very frequently these next few weeks. It seems to be the only place I can get cooled off in this heat wave! And an added bonus is the relief the pool provides from this extra weight I'm carrying around. I'll have to post some pictures soon of the kids playing in the pool, but don't expect to see any of me in my bathing suit...that is the one definate disadvatage of visiting the pool, having to wear a swimsuit 35 weeks pregnant!
We don't really have any other plans for this summer. Just going to relax and take it easy before Baby #3 arrives in July...just around the corner!! I've been busy trying to prepare for his arrival. I worked pretty hard (with help from my Dad who built the shelves and cubbies, and my mom who helped me hang, fold and organize clothes) to get everything switched and put away in the kids' closets. I still have to get all of the newborn boy clothes out of the attic and put them away in the dresser. It feels like I just put those clothes up in the attic! There is still much to do and more to buy before the big day. I did purchase a stroller, a Combi Twin Saavy LX. It should arrive later this week. Thanks to everyone who gave me advice on my stroller woes. Some great friends of mine (Dawn, Amy and Kimber) threw a shower for me and most everyone who attended contributed to gift cards for me. I was so overwhelmed with their generosity. That will really help out with the last few purchases I need to make!


Well, there is a quick update and excuse for my slack blogging.

7 years ago today...

...I married my Prince Charming in a fairy tale wedding that started the beginning of our happily ever after.

10 Reasons I Love My Husband

I was tagged by my friend Dawn to list 10 reasons why I love my husband. So here goes:

1. He truly is my best friend. We are high school sweethearts, dating since we were 16 years old, so we've practically grown up together. We enjoy eachother's company, there is such comfort in just being with him. We can talk about everything and nothing. I really can't remember the last time we had a real argument. We don't let petty things bother us. I'm so thankful that we get along so well.

2. He makes Christ a priority in his life. We are both growing so much in our faith right now. He strives to be a godly husband and father. It is nice to see Justin leading our family and being an example to those around him.

3. He is such a great daddy! He rolls around on the floor wresting and tickling the kids . He sits and talks to Anagrace about the most random of things. He patiently teaches them both new things. After a long day at work, he is the one to bathe them and get them ready for bed. He makes sure to tell them everyday that he loves them. He gives his children the love and attention that they need from a father.

4. He is a funny man. I don't think a lot of people would guess that upon first meeting him, but he is very funny. He makes me laugh everyday about something silly. He can even make me laugh while I'm upset and crying.

5. He waits for me to go to bed. I'm not out a lot of late nights, but if I do have something going on past our usual bedtime he'll wait for me to come home. He may wait on the couch and fall asleep there, but he doesn't go to bed without me. We almost always go to bed at the same time.

6. He is a hard-worker. It's just who he is. But, I am so grateful that he understands and supports my calling to be a stay-at-home mom and works hard to provide for us. I know that being the sole provider for the family must be stressful for him at times, and I truly appreciate his dedication to providing not just our needs, but most of our wants too.

7. He is sexy! He's is so good looking. Some of my favorite features are his blue eyes, one with a cute little mole hidden in his lower left eyelashes and his hands...there's just something sexy about his hands, they are delicate, yet very manly! I could admire him for hours especially in a pair of GAP jeans and a baseball cap. And aside from his looks he's got a confidence about him that is not cocky, but very sexy.

8. He doesn't require much. By that I mean, he doesn't expect a home cooked meal everynight. He is perfectly happy to eat a peanut butter sandwich. And he doesn't complain if the house is in disarray or the laundry is not done. He'll do a load of laundry and help out when needed without saying a word.

9. He is compassionate. He will go and pass out biscuits to the homeless or volunteer on a Saturday for an event with our church because he truly enjoys serving others. He will do yardwork for my grandparents, when he has a million other things he needs to do. He has fixed heating/air problems for people in the middle of the night at no charge. He acts tough, but he's a real "softy" on the inside.

10. He loves me for me...flaws and all. He knows everything about me and loves me in spite of myself. I would not be the same person without his love.

Purchasing Problems

I have frequent problems with purchasing. I truly enjoy shopping, but I hate spending money. Everyone picks on my husband (including me) about being frugal, but truth be known I'm just as thrifty as he is. I struggle with my purchases. More likely than not if I buy something for myself I return it. So here are my latest purchasing problems:


I thought that I had found the deal of the century! I have been surfing the internet looking for a bargain on a double stroller. I found a Peg Perego top of the line side-by-side stroller for $170. You can't even buy a new Graco stroller for that price, so I snagged it. After it arrived on my doorstep, I realized that it was not compatible with any infant carrier. I don't want a stroller, no matter how nice it is, that I have to get my baby out of the car seat and fasten into the stroller. It is just so much easier to put the whole carrier onto the stroller and go, especially if you're just running a quick errand. So, as much as I loved the stroller...it really was snazzy, lightweight and easy to steer... I decided to get rid of it. To send it back to the company would cost me shipping charges and a restocking fee - over $50. That literally brought me to tears. I called Justin at work crying about this stupid stroller. I'm blaming it on the hormones. I usually have two or three meltdowns per pregnancy, so this was meltdown #1. Anyway, I listed the stroller on craigslist and only lost $10. I'm still not sure what stroller I'm going to go with, but I sure wish I hadn't pushed that one around my living room.

My other purchasing problem is yet to be solved. I really need some pajamas. None of mine are comfy. I have been sleeping in Justin's t-shirts, but now even they are getting too tight. I can't believe that I am outgrowing my husband's clothes! I have a really hard time spending money on clothes to sleep in. I'm not one of those people that lounge around in my PJ's. I put them on right before bed and put my real clothes on shortly after I wake up. So, buying pajamas is not something I really want to do. I know that is silly, but if I have money to spend I want to buy a new shirt or flip flops or something. I thought that Justin might get me some PJ's for mother's day, since it is not something I would really buy for myself. But I was pleasantly surprised that he remembered I had been saying I wanted a new Bible and some new music to listen to. So, that's what he got me. He did not remember the Bible translation or the name of the CD I wanted, so I had to go and exchange them. But, hey...I'm used to taking stuff back, so I didn't mind at all!

So, there's my purchasing problems...no real dilema, I know. Certainly nothing to shed tears over (I'm hormonal, okay!!).

Anderson is ONE!

I can't believe my baby boy is one year old! He has brought so much joy to my life this past year. He has a wonderful personality that keeps me laughing. He finds humor in most things, and flashes his cute grin or gives a sweet chuckle. He is a busy boy, into everything. You can just see the curiosity in his eyes as he explores everything. He is starting to walk. He takes steps on his own, making his way halfway across the room to us or a toy he wants. He will brush his hair, change channels with the remote, dance to music, and pretend to answer the phone. He thinks "no,no" is funny and seems to like to hear me say it. He will seek out things to do and then look me in the eye and say "huh?" just to see if it is still a no,no. He is babbling, often with a lot of facial expressions. He knows what he is saying even if we don't! He has said "mama" and "dada" but is very stingy in saying them, no matter how hard we encourage him he just smiles at us. The boy loves to eat. We call him the "eating machine". I am not sure he is ever completely full, it seems he would eat just as long as we will feed him. He is a very loving baby. He likes to be held and likes to cuddle for short periods of time. He will come over and lay his head on our leg or shoulder to "give love". He has learned to give kisses. I just love his kisses! I just love him, everything about him I adore! He is so precious to me and although the time goes by so quickly I do love watching him grow and learn and show his sweet personality.

Happy Birthday, Anderson Jude!

A New Hobby

I think I have found a new hobby....craigslist. I have sold two items already. I sold my Joovy sit and stand stroller. I will have to get a double stroller once this baby arrives. (By the way, I am welcoming suggestions as to what is the best double stroller to buy. I have not decided if I want a side-by-side or tandem. Please, let me know what ones you liked or did not like!) I also sold a dresser that would not fit in Anagrace's (or the boys') room. The whole process was so quick and easy. I am planning to look in our attic for more items to sell!

I also bought a brand-new twin mattress on craigslist...still in the plastic! I love a bargain!

By the way, here is a picture of Anagrace's new bed that Justin's dad built, complete with the craigslist mattress (although you can't see it). We are so happy with how it turned out. Justin was less than thrilled that I wanted to paint it 4 different colors, but I think it makes it cuter that way! The steps are actually drawers, so they can double as storage. However, Anderson has already learned how to climb them. I guess I'll have to put a baby gate up to keep him out of her room! I will post more pictures of her room and the boys' room after the finishing touches are complete.

A Warning I Wish I Had Received Before Today

The paint center at your local hardware store is not a good place for an indecisive person. There are far too many paint swatches to choose from. Pink Parfait or Southern Sunset Pink...Hmmm....Lovely Lavender or Plum Delight....Hmmm. Four-year-old little girls are absolutely no help. They show you pictures of the magnificent Disney Princess rooms in the paint sample flyers and want to know if their room can look like that. Eleven month old little boys want to eat the paint swatches. After making a decision, you will most likely feel the desire to return to the store to make Violet Tinge and tinge brighter and more violet-y. If you are smart, you will not return with your children.

The Process Begins...

We started the process to switch the kids' rooms today. We took everything off of the walls in both rooms and patched the holes. Justin started priming the striped wall in Anagrace's room. The stripes are pretty bold colors, so I think it will take several coats of primer. Her room has always been bright red and blue with pastel green and yellow because we did not find out if we were having a boy or girl when I was pregnant with her. My mom and I made curtains with gingham prints in all of the colors. She has also had an outdoor/bug themed room since she was a baby. She had pretty butterflies, ladybugs, and dragonflies on her wall. Cute little nic nacks filled shelves. Most things I had picked out before she was born. Now it is all packed up in a box, and I am a little sad. She is going to have a big girl room now. Anagrace is excited that her new room will be pink! And I am excited to decorate a really girly room with her, but at the same time I feel a twinge of sadness as we pack away her "nursery" things. My baby girl is not a baby anymore.

On top of those emotions, I am a little stressed at the mess and chaos that switching the rooms entails. It is not easy trying to have children live in rooms that we are re-doing! We plan to send them to visit with the grandparents for a few days or a weekend, so that we can paint the walls and try to get as much done without them here. Right now all of Anagrace's furniture is pushed to one side of her room. Stuff is in boxes and crammed in closets. Eventually it will all have to be swapped from one room to the other. We are not sure how long this whole process will take. We still have to paint and assemble the loft bed that Justin's father built for Anagrace and buy a new mattress for it. I need to go through toys to decide what we can donate. And I will definately have to figure out a plan to store and organize all of the toys, clothes, and stuff in both rooms. The boys' new room has a smaller closet and we will not have much room in there with 2 cribs, the changing table, rocker and one small dresser. Anagrace's new room has a larger closet, but the room is tiny. Her new loft bed is going to take up the majority of the wall/floor space in her room. I'll definately have to get creative with storage in both rooms!

I'll be glad when this process is over and I can look at and enjoy the fruits of our labor! I'll post the pictures of the finished rooms...but it may be a while!!

I'm Not Ready To Think About Retirement

I read somewhere about a mom who said that with preteens in the house she was happy to be in "reproductive retirement". I am not there yet. Maybe once I am the mother of TWO boys, 14 months apart....and one 4-year-old drama queen I will be on my way. But, I'm not there yet. I really don't want to ponder the thought that this could be my last pregnancy. I haven't let my mind go there. Actually I haven't had the time. This pregnancy is flying by! My husband, however, is ready to plan for our reproductive retirement. He has brought up the "v-word", as in vasectomey, several times. We haven't had a real conversation about it. It usually lasts 5 minutes tops and goes something like:

Justin: So-and-so at work today was asking how the pregnancy is going....and if we would have any more kids. He told me he had a vasectomy and it all went well.

Chelsea: Really?

Justin: You know we're going to have to discuss this.

Chelsea: I'm just not ready to say we are definately done. What if in two or three years, we decide we DO want another baby. It's just so....permanant.

Justin: silence

Okay, so more like 30 seconds of conversation. But never a resolution. I don't think that I can give in on this one. I just don't feel in my heart that it is the right time to make such a permanant change. At the same time, it is scary because we were taking contraceptive precautions when we got pregnant this time. Justin has lost all confidence in pharmeceutical birth control. So, at this point I am just praying. I am mostly praying that God will change Justin's perspective :)! I believe what it says in Psalm 127:3:

Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.

It goes on to say:

Children born to a young man
are like sharp arrows in a warrior's hands.
How happy is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.
Ps. 127:4-5

We are still young. We are technically still in our twenties, clinging by our fingernails, but we still are! And I am not sure if the Lord plans to bless us with more. He definately gave us this child growing inside me when we had not planned on it. He may have a plan for another child in our future, but we could hinder that by going ahead with the vasectomy. I don't know....maybe I'm being super-spiritual?!
It could be that right now I feel such a calling to be a mommy, and to see in the far distance an end to that makes me sad. It's not that I have my identity wrapped up in mommyhood and that I don't know what to do if I am not at home raising my children; I have a career waiting in the wings. It is a career that I do enjoy. I've had the flexibility to work a few days a week over the years while still being at home with children, and it has been a nice "get-away". I enjoy having a purpose outside of my home as well. I think that it just all boils down to the fact that I am not ready to make the decision that our family is complete. So, I ask that you all pray for clarity for Justin and I and a sense of peace with whatever we choose.

Simple Pleasures

Sometimes the smallest things bring a lot of joy to my heart.



I went grocery shopping. Now, that in itself does not bring me joy. But, they just opened a new Wal-Mart store close to our house. It is nice, new, and clean and it is has not been crowded or had long lines the few times that I have shopped there. That brings me joy. I finished my grocery shopping at ALDI. Let me just say... if you are looking for ways to save on groceries ALDI is the place to shop. That is, if you are not a brand-a-holic. They do not regularly stock name-brand foods, but occasionally have some "on special". This week they had my favorite cereal (Kellogg's All-Bran Strawberry Medley) at ALDI. I bought 3 boxes. That brought me joy. I have my meals planned for the week and the groceries to make it happen. Now, all I have to do is cook it. That is the hard part. Cooking does not bring me joy. But, if I don't make dinner no one complains. Anderson is content with just about anything we feed him, Anagrace with ALDI brand spaghetti and meatballs, Justin with a peanut butter sandwich, and me with my cereal. So, to know that I do not have the pressure to cook everynight and not feel guilty....that brings me joy.

Two Heartbeats!

I had an OB appointment today. My midwife measured my belly and was surprised by the amount of growth. I had been thinking for weeks that my belly is bigger than it should be, but I just thought

"Well, this is my third child....

I got pregnant 5 months after giving birth,so my uterus was still larger than usual....

I still have baby weight from Anderson...etc."



Then came time to listen to the heartbeat, and there were TWO! TWO heartbeats?! Am I having twins?!!!!!








April Fool's....The 2 heartbeats were mine and the baby's! Did I get you?


I did have an appointment today, and the midwife said everything is fine. My belly is measuring where it should be. Now, my behind is another story! She didn't say that...that's my personal opinion. And if it's yours too, please keep that to yourself....JUSTIN.

Easter

It has taken me a while to recoup from Easter. Hence, the delay of the pictures and post. We had a brunch at our house on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. Thirteen adults and four children attended, which was a much smaller crowd than I had originally planned for. We had a great time and it did seem a little less stressful than years past when more people were packed in our small home.

On Sunday, we attended an awesome Easter service at our church. My mom, stepdad and stepbrother joined us, which made it even more special. Our church has now added a fourth service time due to the phenomenal growth we've experienced. Justin and I decided to serve during the new service time because there was a need for voluteers in that time slot. In order to do that, we have to attend a later service than usual. It may take us a while to adjust to the Sunday schedule change. After church, we went to Justin's parents for an early dinner. We all had a great time.

My children enjoyed all the Easter festivities. Anagrace was so excited about her Easter basket. She was especially fond of the chocolate rabbit. So much so that it was a struggle for her to actually eat him. She saved him for several days after opening the package. She would look at him, contemplate biting his ears, then put him back. She told me "Mama, I want to eat him, but I don't think I should". She has more willpower than me...if it's chocolate I'm going to eat it no matter how cute it is staring back at me! Anderson enjoyed digging through his very first Easter basket, too. He did not have any issues with eating the treats inside, even the ones that were not edible went straight to his mouth!

The best part of it all for me was hearing the Easter story retold by my 4 year-old...not the one about the bunny delivering baskets to children, the one about Jesus dying on the cross and rising again!

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

My cuties all dressed up on Easter Sunday

Anagrace eating her bunny hesitantly

Anderson as an Easter Bunny


Anderson and his 1st Easter basket