Accessorize

Not only do I struggle with accessorizing our dinner, I have a problem with accessorizing myself!  I just looked down at my shoes to realize that I have had these same shoes since the year Josh and I got married and I wear them several times a week (if not every day).  They are so old that the sole is coming unglued on the bottom and flaps when I walk on low humidity days;)

That got me thinking about other things I own.  I have the same 8 earrings in my ears that I had in 10th grade and they have only been taken out for soccer games.  I got a necklace for mother's day 5 years ago that I wear every day (except for the 5 times that the chain has broken and I've had to get it fixed...thank goodness for lifetime warranties).

I have never been a very high maintenance girl.  In fact, my mom and sister had to apply my makeup on my wedding day.  I am very grateful for my younger sister-in-law who is a Mary Kay consultant who can give me those inside tips now=)

I have a friend who is a pro interior design expert and I always ask her advice on decorating my house.  So now I'm asking for your help.  Are there any expert accessorizers out there who can give me some tips?  I mean, are there certain guidelines that one is supposed to adhere to?

Mayday! Mayday! We Have A Blowout!!!!!!!

After 1 week and 4 days!  

If you don't know what I'm talking about read THIS POST first=)  

Josh and I were just sitting here relaxing and reading while the older two took their nap.  All of a sudden we began smelling this AWFUL smell!  We look up at Micaiah, who is in the exersaucer, and he has a VERY intent look of concentration on his face.  I do believe Micaiah is working on a present for us.

We begin looking around the room wondering where we should put him to do his business.  Some place where gravity can continue to take effect but at the same time easily cleanable.

I feel a sense of relief for the little guy.  We've all been waiting a long time for this;)  Good job.  Mommy's proud of you=)

(I can hardly believe I've been writing blog posts about this, ha!  You know you are a mom when...)

I'm glad he'll be able to enjoy our family tree decorating tonight=)

P.S.  Thank you all for your advice!  We tried a little more apple juice (only b/c that's the only thing we had around the house) this morning as well as the thermometer trick (3 times throughout the day).  A couple of hours later...voila!

To Shop Or Not To Shop

The Nicely Decorated Living Room

The Kids Table

They thought it would be more fun to eat UNDER the table=)

I am sitting here, completely full after a great Thanksgiving dinner. My sister-in-law is looking through all the sales papers for tomorrow's frenzy.

I'm not a big shopper, especially on the busiest shopping day of the year! I start sweating just thinking about the crowds of people.

I must say though, last year AND this year I have done the CVS Black Friday deals. They start at 12am on Thanksgiving morning so I don't have to fight a crowd. I wasn't even going to go but my sister-in-law, Kelly, talked me into going so I got all my deals ready and headed out with her to conquer. I did pretty good this year. I haven't really looked carefully at my final totals but I think I got around $100 worth of stuff for under $10 OOP and doubled my ECB's. Pretty sweet!

So, are you gearing up for the big day or are you going to snuggle up in bed and sleep in?

Preparing For The Blowout!

***Consider this your warning - if you have a weak or sensitive stomach read no further!  This post is messy=)***

The week before we moved to Raleigh I noticed that I had not changed a poopie diaper in almost a week.  I thought poor little Cai's tummy must just be out of wack because of the move.  Every nursery or place I'd drop him off at would tell me that "We thought for sure he had a dirty diaper and checked him several times but there was nothing.  He just smelled SO bad!"  Inside I was thinking to myself, just look who his daddy is though;)  Don't tell Josh I just said that, HA!  

Well, sure enough on Saturday afternoon (loading day) he had a massive blowout!  Thank you G-daddy (my dad) for changing that one.  It was so funny...for the next several hours Cai was SO content and it was like he just couldn't stop smiling.  I'm sure that one felt good.

Fast forward a week later with no poopies.  The nursery workers are complaining of this horrendous stench coming from this sweet little bundle and I know we are in for a doozie!

I was preparing dinner for our family of 5 children and 4 adults (don't worry, Jenn and I took turns cooking for this crew) when I smelled it!  I looked down at the bouncy seat where Cai was staring into outer space with an intent look on his face and realized that it was time.  Not 2 minutes later I looked back at him and IT was coming out from every imaginable angle.  I just stood there not knowing which action to take.  

After that episode he waited until the following Monday for another poopie escapade.  I have since dubbed Mondays as "Poopie Mondays".

I am a little worried this week though.  Monday has come and gone and it is now Wednesday.  We are about to embark on a road trip to VA and Cai has yet to have his weekly blowout.  

We are heading out prepared with a waterproof pad in his car seat and easily accessible wipes, diapers and vomit bag (when the smell begins to make it's way to the front of the car)=)

Side Note:  He isn't constipated, he just doesn't go.  We've tried a little apple juice to no avail.  Any ideas?

3 Is More Fun

Areyna gets so sad when it is time for Micaiah to go down for a nap and she hates it even more when she has to miss his wake times for some reason or another.  

So, yesterday afternoon we decided to give Micaiah a few minutes of room time with the kids.  Areyna loved the company and played next to him while he sat in his bouncy seat and Zeke only threw 1 book at him, HA!  Let's just say he knows not to ever do that again=)

Wow, 3 kids in room time already.  I can only imagine what this is going to be like when he gets to the wrestling age...

Catchup With Us

Here is what's been going on in our lives this past week.

We moved into our new house on Tuesday!  We LOVE it!  Sunday afternoon was "hanging day".  Since everything was unpacked, except for the piles of books in the living room that make our house look like a library exploded in it (it's time to invest in a bookshelf...or 3) we decided we could start adding the finishing touches.

When we moved to Charlotte we had so much help that they started unpacking our boxes too and I had no clue where things were or what had or hadn't been unpacked.  So this time we decided that we really wanted to take our time unloading so we could get rid of EVERYTHING that we don't need or use.  It also allowed me to arrange (and rearrange=) all our stuff until I found the PERFECT home for our stuff=)

Not only are the kids loving their new home but they are loving being close to family.  They have done an incredible job during this whole transition.

I'll post pictures as soon!

You know what I think is hilarious?  I took a longer blogging break for a move than I did after having a baby, HA!

How about you...when did you take your longest blogging break?

Happy Monday!  It's good to be back=)

I'm Still Here

We're here in our new house and I am unpacking and unpacking.  We couldn't be more pleased with our house.  God is SO good.

I'm also still here in the blogosphere.  I promise I'll sit down and catch you up on our lives...maybe this evening=)

Have a GREAT Frideay!

"We Only Write On...PAPER!"

We have a rule at our house.

"We only write on PAPER!"

The kids KNOW that, so when I walked in to get the kids out of room time I was shocked to see THIS!

Zeke had drawn Spiderwebs on his legs so he looks like Spiderman.

Me:  "Zeke, what in the world.  We...only...write...on..."

Zeke: "...paper!"

Me:  "Zeke, did you disobey mommy? Are your legs paper?"

Zeke:  "But I'm Spiderman mommy!"

What am I supposed to say to that?!  This is what happens when you are a mommy to a superhero I suppose=)

He's just going to have to walk around with these "webs" on him until he gets a bath...and we all know those are few and far between in this Via family, HA!

Saying Goodbye To Our Temporary Home

Tomorrow is moving day!  I can't believe we get to move into our new home.  I can't but help being a little sad to leave this temporary home with our friends behind though.  I thought I'd give you a little peak at where we've been these past 3.5 weeks.

Here is Micaiah's room.

He shares it with the laundry=)

Our office/Snack-coffee area

Rainy and Zeke's room

Living Room

Our Bathroom

Our Bedroom

Jeremiah and Jenn, we can't thank you enough for sharing your home and your lives with us!  Oh yeah, and ALL your toys=)

Another Rock Star In The Making

Micaiah's first go on Zeke's electric guitar

I tell you what, give us a couple of years and we'll be paying our own kids to play our gigs=)

I Wonder What They Were Thinking

A couple of days ago Josh, Jenn and I, along with all the kids, were here at the house when a park ranger drove up.  There was an injured deer that had to be put down.  Not 10 minutes later, while the park ranger was still here, the terminix guys drove up to do a routine termite inspection.  It was absolutely crazy around here.

I just wonder what they all thought while they walked around this house.  One man at home who was changing the baby in the laundry room, 2 ladies, 5 kids scattered inside and out.  I felt the need to explain our situation for some reason=)

Christmas Card Time

It's that time of year again...Christmas Picture time.  We traded picture taking abilities with Jeremiah and Jenn so we wouldn't have to do the ol'  set-the-camera-up-on-the-tripod-and-run-while-trying-to-get-the-kids-to-continue-to-look-at-the-camera technique.  This new method of having another PERSON take the picture is pure genius.  

Anyway, that's what we did earlier this week...and now I've been working all day to find the right photo card for our December newsletter.  I've been comparing prices and backgrounds and sizes ALL DAY!

I can't figure out why it is such a big deal for me.  *sigh*

And now that I've been zoned in on this task all day I am unmotivated to work on anything else.  Not to mention the already rainy, gloomy day because of Tropical Storm Ida.

Are there any other Christmas Card perfectionists out there?

Cheap Oil Change and Tire Rotation

With all the back and forth Josh and I have been doing with 1 car (since our Honda is still in Charlotte) we have really racked up the miles.  It was time for an oil change.  That was top priority on our to-do list yesterday.  

My husband, being the deal seeker that I've made him to be, wasn't about to pay the $68 it would have cost him for the oil change and tire rotation at Jiffy Lube.  He went online and found a couple GREAT coupons and then took them around and found a shop that would honor them.  He ended up paying $18.99 (tax included) for everything.  How awesome is that!

Then, after checking out at Kroger for a few items I had put on a list (and making sure he got the lowest prices on the items of course), he saw a small stack of coupons on the counter and brought them home to me.  He thought it was funny because normally he would have walked straight past them and now it is instinct to look for them and snag them up.  He is slowly beginning to realize that coupons are like money around here=)

He also scoured the mall for the best price on cons and found some for $15.00 as opposed to the normal $40-$60 he found for them everywhere else.  Believe me, new shoes was a need.  Especially when Areyna would hold her nose every time Josh would walk by with his big toe hanging out of a hole and she'd say, "Daddy, I don't like the way you smell."

I love my man and I love that he is helping in this endeavor to make every penny count.

Yours, Mine and Ours

The open gate...we can play!!!

Jenn and I decided that we needed to get together to set some boundaries since we were going to be co-living with another family for the first time.  We talked openly about maintaining family times and our daily routine and made a rule that we are NOT allowed to be offended or get our feelings hurt during any part of this process=)

Jenn and I have done pretty good with the groceries so far.  With our forces combined we have been able to score some AWESOME deals!

Jeremiah and Jenn set us up a little coffee/snack area for us so we wouldn't have to come upstairs in our jammies or worry about waking them up in the morning.  We are able to go up and use the kitchen at our leisure though.  We also have a TV down there.  I'll have to post pictures of our set-up, it's pretty sweet.

It's been kind of hard on all the kids to figure out their boundaries though.  We decided we needed a good system.  When the gate is open at the top of our stairs, the kids know that they can all play together.  It's so funny to hear Ella and Ezra at the top of the stairs when we haven't been up yet to open it or to hear our kids trying their hardest to wait for the open gate to go up and play.  

The kids have gotten along really well.  They are learning to "work it out" together and are all having to work on sharing to the extreme these past couple of weeks.

We will always cherish this time together with the Hambrick's.  

Stay Away

Jenn had a dream on Sunday night about her having strep throat and then she woke up with a sore throat.  The funny thing is that I woke up with that same sore throat too!  We have the EXACT SAME virus with the EXACT SAME symptoms.  It's been crazy.  We'll wake up in the mornings and we feel the same way and as soon as one of us has a new symptom we know that within an hour or two the other will begin to have it too.

Well, Josh got home on Thursday night from a week-long even with his dad.  His mom had just been asking him earlier this week, "You make a living using your voice.  How in the world do you keep from getting sick?"  You may remember Josh's blog recalling one such event that didn't go so well, but he has since learned the correct way to take Airborne.  That's what he takes when anyone in his realm of physical influence comes up sick.

Anyway, yesterday's symptom was headache, sneezing and terribly runny nose.  So, you can imagine the noises coming from this house last night while Josh and I were hanging out downstairs.  I was sitting next to Josh, sneezing every couple of minutes while Jenn sat upstairs snorting so loudly that it would make us all laugh.  

It was then, in that moment, that Josh realized that it was time.  Time to take action.  Time to take Airborne and pray for the best!

3 Months

16.0 lb.

1 - He found his hands this week.  I love watching him stare at his new found appendages.

2 - After I wake him up for his 10:30pm feeding he'll sleep anywhere from 7am-9am.

3 - He loves to be UP.  He hardly wants to be laying on his back anymore.  He'd rather be jumping in his Johnny Jump Up or playing in the exersaucer.

4 - He is so flexible and happy baby.  He rode around with us for HOURS looking for houses and then got passed around at band rehearsals all week and did amazing.

5 - He is trying his hardest to sit by himself.

6 - He is VERY determined.  He is working so hard on rolling over that he is losing sleep at night because of it.

7 - He started blowing spit bubbles and making noises.

8 - He will take a bottle at ANY temperature.  Makes traveling so simple.

9 - If no one else can get a smile and laugh out of him, Rainy can=)

10 - We have a GREAT system for traveling.  I have a bottle ready for Cai before we leave the house and give it to Rainy to feed him in the backseat while I pump his next feeding in transit.  We only have to stop for a quick diaper change=)

11 - He is a BIG stretcher.  When we went in for his last check-up the nurse had to wait a good minute and a half for Cai to stop stretching to measure how long he was, HA!

Peein' Like A Frog

I had asked Zeke to go sit on the potty before we went upstairs.  I walked into the bathroom and THIS is what I saw.

Me:  "What are you doing Zeke?!"

Zeke:  "I'm pee-peeing like a frog mommy!"

I'm pretty sure if I even KNEW this existed it would have made the "I'll Never" list=)

***I know, I know.  He's gonna hate me for posting this picture one day, but I just couldn't resist!***

I'll Never...

Before I was a mom I had so many ideas of what kind of parent I would be.  There were certain things I had in my mind that I just simply would or would not ever do.  I really had no concept of what being a parent looked like and obviously no experience in this area.  I must say I've learned a lot these last 4 1/2 years.

I always said:

We'd never watch TV all day.

(Some days just call for LOTS of TV)

My children would NOT be thumb suckers.

(I quickly realized that I had no control over this issue=)

I would NEVER be the mom who would have their kids run around with a nasty, sagging diaper.

(Um, have you SEEN how expensive diapers are?  I'm getting every penny out of those suckers!)

My children would NOT be whiners.

(Yeah, still working on this one, HA!)

Happy meals and mac-n-cheese?  Not in this house.  I was going to cook GREAT, healthy dinners EVERY night!

(Life on the road has quickly changed my thinking on this one)

I'd never yell at my kids.  I would always be a shining example of patience in front of them.

(No comment here!)

My thinking has changed a lot over these past few years as I've realized the reality of parenting=)

What did you used to say you would NEVER do as a parent?

Let Down

"God Be Praised" Live recording Night

Wow.  We have been going non-stop since before Micaiah was born.  We have had a baby, put a house on the market, sold a house, moved in with friends, found a house, done a live recording...  It seems like the list goes on and on.  I'm a bit exhausted looking back at the past couple of months but there is nowhere else I'd rather be!

We pulled our truck into the Raleigh area last Sunday night and didn't miss a beat, starting nightly rehearsals for the live recording the very next day with house hunting in between.

Friday night was "God Be Praised", the live recording we did with our new home church.  It was SO amazing to be part of this night.  I am really looking forward to getting to know each one of the people on our new team.  The humility that surrounds them is a breathe of fresh air and you just can't help but worship WITH them!

We knew that if we could just get through the recording (and then Halloween of course;) we could just relax and breathe for a bit before the business of the holidays comes around.  

I must admit to almost falling asleep during church on Sunday from pure exhaustion, knowing that I was just a couple of hours from getting to our new home at the Hambrick's where I knew I could stay put for a whole week straight!

My poor kids are exhausted too, being moved around to this house and that while they waited for this break.  They have been absolutely INCREDIBLE during this transition time.  Even with Josh being in Maryland doing ministry this week.  

So right now I am sitting in Jeremiah and Jenn's basement, our temporary abode, so very thankful.  Thankful for friends, family, the fall, a wonderful church family, selling our house so quickly, finding a new house on that exact same day, a place to lay my head at night (even if it is surrounded by boxes:), healthy children, our ministry...

God Be Praised!

Halloween Pictures

This was the first Halloween we got to be with family.  The kids loved going Trick-or-Treating with their cousins.  Areyna was Ariel, Cana and Kayil were cowgirls, Zeke was Spiderman, and Karis and Micaiah were bumblebees.

Areyna, Meme, Zeke Cana and Uncle Moose

Kayil, Kelly, Brianne and Karis and Cai

2 very cute, but VERY TIRED bumblebees=)

We have the best pastor EVER!  

They saved their best candy for our kids.

Then we went inside and hung out while our kids continued

to devour their bottomless buckets of candy for the next hour!

Zeke wasn't going to let ANY of it go to waste=)