Week in iPhotos 13

We had the perfect viewing spot at Grandpa Holland's house for the Steel Days parade--and it was shaded.  Bonus!

A little Sunday evening biking.  Here they (not me--I'm always a spectator these days.) are playing follow the leader with Sam as the leader.

 And, oh my word!  This profile could not be cuter!  

I love this little guy SO MUCH!

I had my big ultrasound today and everything looks PERFECT!  

Such a relief.  And so miraculous!

Here's a little snippet of Sam's personality.

He is seriously one of THE FUNNIEST, quick-witted people I know.

Week in iPhotos 12 and Pregnancy Update

Half way done with the pregnancy!!!

Woohoo!!!

I'm still taking a Zofran every night for nausea.  Even so, I've been extra sick the last two weeks--pretty much all day except the first 2-3 hours in the mornings.

I think it's because I'm overly tired.  I started teaching ballet again a couple weeks ago.  After 6 weeks off, my body isn't used to the extra exercise.  I'm walking 3-4 times a week but that is NOT the same as  demonstrating exercises, bending down and up to give corrections, and talking. (oh, the talking!)  I forget how much energy is expended while talking/counting loudly over the music for 2 hours.  After two weeks, however, I'm feeling more conditioned.  Good thing, because I plan to teach until I go into labor.

I'm feeling the baby move everyday.

I've really lost my appetite lately (all the extra nausea?).  The only things that sound good to eat are fruit, raw vegetables, cold cereal, and toast.

I have MAJOR food aversions.  Anything strong tasting or smelling just kills me--garlic, onions, BBQ sauce.  I hate anything with marinara sauce.  And chicken is the worst!  

I dry heave just thinking about it.

I tried to make chicken for dinner for my kids the other night.  I couldn't walk back in the kitchen until Jeff came home and cleaned up dinner.  

Why in the world, you ask, is Sam hanging on the door frame at the Ken Garff Honda dealership?

I'll tell you why.

Because Jeff and I are SO impulsive:  We decided to stop there after dinner out one night "just to see" what our trade-in value was of our 2010 Odyssey.  Well, 2 1/2 hours later, at 11:00 at night (we were the only ones there--except the nighttime cleaning crew), we drove away with a new 2012 Odyssey.  

 Isn't it beautiful?!?!

I love the new body style and the silver color.

I was kinda sad to say goodbye to my last Odyssey.  It changed my life.  ;)

You will be missed 2010 gray Odyssey.  You helped me see the light of convenience and spaciousness with my large (and growing) family.

*Sniff*

But on to a better minivan with even more bells and whistles, so I was over it in about 10 seconds.

(It's still a minivan, I know.  I've forever said goodbye to cool, but who cares?)

We had a late night party with some of the Droubay cousins this week.

We made S'mores over the fire pit and played night games.  Well, I watched the night games.

When Sam was grocery shopping with me last week he saw a toy wheelbarrow that he wanted in the worst way.  I wouldn't get it for him, but I told him he could do some extra jobs around the house to earn money to help buy it.

He's been doing odds and ends for me all week long.

Here he is vacuuming up the sand that was tracked in from outside.

He earned it!  

Look how proud he is.

Oh my goodness!  I just think he is the cutest thing ever!

More exciting news:  My sister is in the hospital as I type this having her 2nd baby--a boy!

It is the first in a string of a LOT of babies being born in my family.

I'm so excited and can't wait to see pictures.

Week in iPhotos 11

I know those are flannel Christmas pajamas.

And I know it's 100 degrees outside, but this kid refuses to sleep with covers and I turn my upstairs into an icebox at night so I can sleep.

(Oh man, my A/C bill is going to be HUGE this summer.)

I've learned the hard way that if I don't dress him warm he will climb into my bed in the middle of the night and disrupt my sleep.

Sam's usual bedtime snack:  a toast sandwich

I resorted to this the other day when I had cleaned the kitchen for the second time.

These days, I sometimes don't even have the energy to clean it once so having done it TWICE in one day was a big deal and I wanted it to stay clean for at least an hour.

I try to take a nap on the living room couch every afternoon (or at least rest for awhile and read).

Sam decided to keep me company one day and fell asleep in about 2 minutes.

Lucy and Kate riding bikes.

Sam riding his two wheeler.

I took Lucy and Sam to the Dinosaur Museum for the two-billionth time.

I call this the gastroenteritis room.  It's muggy, it's moist, one thousand kids are running their germ-ridden hands all over everything.  It's THE PERFECT environment for breeding stomach flu germs.

We wash and sanitize vigorously after playing here.

In pregnancy news:

I've totally "popped" in the last two weeks.  I'm not quite half-way done and I can tell I am well on my way to having another big, 9 lb.-ish baby boy.

Heaven help me.

This short-waisted body was not meant to carry such big babies.

I'll post a picture in a week or two.

Month in iPhotos--Crazy May

We started the month with our 7th and 8th round of Strep in the family.  It has only passed back and forth between Lucy and Jake but they have each had it four times in 3 months!!!

The doctor said if they each get it two more time in the next 3-4 months then they will need their tonsils out.

I'm so glad school is out so maybe we can get a break from the germs and antibiotics for awhile.

Dance auditions at our dance studio.

Six hours long.   Phew!

I am craving Original Tart frozen yogurt big time.  

We've made a few trips to Orange Leaf.

Sam in his favorite outfit ready to go run errands with me.

Lucy absolutely loves gymnastics.  She will NOT miss a class--even if it falls on her birthday.

We brought treats for all the girls that day.

So random, I know.

This is on dress rehearsal day at the high school.  When I arrived the whole parking lot was completely paved.  Then we got a message to move our cars from the south parking lot.  This is what I came out to find.

So nice of them to leave my car intact....barely.

Warm up in the hall before the show.

I was a nervous wreck the day of the recital.

Dress rehearsal did NOT go well.  We ran into several technical difficulties and the logistics of getting 200 girls on and off the stage, in intervals, in a 90 second time-frame for the Grande Finale just wasn't working.  

We had a to schedule an extra rehearsal the morning of the show.  We've never had to do this before.

I did not sleep all night.  We worked out the kinks--but we never had a full run-through from beginning to end.  

I was up helping the tech crew with music for the show and the adrenaline/nerves kicked in so hard that my heart literally raced and palpitated until I thought I was going into cardiac arrest.

But...

....The entire ballet turned out absolutely perfect and gorgeous!!!!

I was so thrilled and relieved that I was crying.  

The girls were beautiful!

All that hard work and stress paid off--and this year was definitely the most difficult year-to-date at my studio.

First, only a month into choreography and rehearsals I had emergency surgery (while out of state on vacation!!!) and missed almost a month of dance.  Then right after, I discovered I was pregnant and taught all through April and May with extreme fatigue and nausea.  There were days where I didn't know how I would get off the couch and make it to the studio, much less teach, rehearse, and clean the dances.  Some days I just sat on the floor with my crackers and ginger ale and barked out instructions to the girls.

Little Lulu in her ballet costume.

End of the second and final show--best feeling ever!!!

The very next day we had Lucy's baptism.

We had 40+ people at our house afterwards and I knew I would be exhausted.  I ordered Olive Garden for lunch and I hired cleaners to clean my house from top to bottom.

It definitely made things easier and I was able to relax and enjoy the day with our families.

I love my sweet little Lucy and her decision to be baptized a member of our church.

This last week of May was truly the "week of Lucy."

She had her birthday on Tuesday shopping and lunch with Grandpa Holland, a recital on Friday, a baptism on Saturday, and another birthday celebration on Sunday at Nana's house.

(I promised her a birthday with friends this week--not sure if that is still going to happen.)

Uncle Dave is always making up fun and crazy games with the kids.  Here they had to all lay on their stomachs while he launched tennis balls high in the air and tried to hit them in the back.  

Three kids ended up crying.

But then they got their revenge and the adults had to lie down while the kids directed hits.

Meanwhile, Summer has begun.  I am so excited.  I'm working on job charts and organizing a few rooms.  I've also changed up some decor and the landscaping projects are all done--all future posts.

But don't you just love these pictures of my boys vacuuming?

Nothing wrong with teaching yours boys (and girls) to do housework.  My future daughters-n-law will thank me someday.

This Month

Josh's birthday

Jeff's birthday

Mother's Day

One giant state report for Jake

One giant country report for Lucy

State Fair at school

Piano recital

Dance festival

Field day

Hours and hours of practice for my own dance recital

Dance pictures

Dance auditions

Lucy's birthday

Scout fundraiser dinner

Teacher appreciation week

Mother/Daughter night

Pool party

Physical for Josh (so he can go to camp)

3 rounds of strep

A doctor visit and meds for poor Lucy's terrible allergies

Camp Committee meetings

Prenatal appointment

10 hour dress rehearsal

On-going yard renovation

Finals week for Josh
Two dance concerts

Lucy's baptism where I will host 40+ guests

All this in the month of May 

Phew!  

Now add to ALL OF THAT a hefty dose of all-day morning sickness and first-trimester exhaustion.

If I'm still alive on June 3rd, tell all your friends.

It will be a big deal!

Week in iPhotos 9

We renewed our pass to Thanksgiving Point and Sam is sooooo excited because that means we can resume our weekly outings to the Dinosaur Museum.

Saturday morning outfit of choice.  

He wore this all day.

The Deacons in our ward had a Mother and Son night.

I cannot believe how fun it was.

We dressed up, had an escort, walked the red carpet where we were interviewed and had our pictures taken by the paparazzi.  

We also had a professional ballroom dancer come instruct us and teach us the Cha-Cha.

We had a dance-off and Josh and I won!!!!

Jake went on his first scout campout (along with Josh) to the Sand Dunes.

They had so much fun and 5 days later I am STILL vacuuming up sand.

Lucy had a dance competition over the weekend.

She dances at the studio where I am the Ballet Director.

I was so proud of our whole school that night because among many other awards, we also won Best Overall Technique.  To me, this is the most important award you can possibly win.  

Here is a preview of Lucy Baptism pictures I had taken about a week ago.

I love her little 8-year-old smile with all the missing teeth.

I also cannot get over how old she looks and how beautiful her hair is.

Oh, to have thick, gorgeous hair like hers!!

She is so beautiful!

Week(s) in iPhotos 8 - A Big Announcement

The weather has been fantastic lately.

I've been going on lots of walks.

Almost everyday.

(I'm determined to stay active this time around, no matter how sick I am.)

I've been trying to finish lots of projects around the house before the sickness hits.

Jeff and I planted about 50 shrubs and trees in our yard.

I have been so hungry lately and have gone absolutely nuts in the kitchen.

Fast food makes me gag now and I want home cooked meals with lots of vegetables.

(I mean, come on!  Look at this meal.  I am so proud of myself.)

Homemade peanut butter granola bars.

I did something I've never, EVER done before:

bought, cut up, and used jicama in a salad.

Be amazed.

More vegetables.

Can't get enough.

Man!  I love this kid.  We spend a LOT of time together while the kids are in school all day.

This is his favorite hat and he wears it everywhere.

He's recently outgrown his afternoon naps and frequently falls asleep in the late afternoon.

In fact, so do I.  I need a nap every afternoon these days.  I'm sooooo tired.

I am dog sitting my sister's dog while she is in Chicago.

Here she is sleeping on my bed.  She's a good little doggy except when I accidentally overfeed her (I had no idea that she won't stop eating even when she's full) and she had diarrhea the whole first night.  

Lesson learned.

I came home from one of my walks to find this.

All the walking,

finishing up projects,

cooking, cravings, and exhaustion because........

I am 6 weeks pregnant!!!!

Morning sickness will hit sometime this week.

It lasts all. day. long.

Last pregnancy it lasted the entire 9 months--and that was the least of my problems.

I am praying and praying that it will be somewhat easier this time around.

We are all very excited at our house, especially Lucy.

Baby will be here in December.