Should I Be Worried?

Photo taken by Preston himself. :o)

We were driving in the car the other day, Preston, Jillian and I.  Preston was really quiet and staring out of the window, when suddenly he said to me, "Mom, when I turn 20, I am going to get a BB gun so I can shoot a bear through the neck."  Not in the neck, through the neck.  Seriously, what goes on in this boy's mind?!  And I'm sure I don't even now the half of it.  I told him that I wasn't sure a BB gun would do much to hurt a bear, let alone be able to shoot it through the neck.  His reply: "Oh it will mom.  BB guns can hurt a bear really bad."  Probably a good thing we won't find out until he's 20.  Hopefully his dream of shooting a bear through the neck will have evaporated by then.  ;o)

Round 4 of House Hunting

The week after Spring Break found Trent and I back in Atlanta for another round of house hunting.  And this time, we had a little traveling buddy with us! 

Don't let her cuteness fool you.  She was a little a little she-devil on the plane ride over.  She was throwing temper tantrums left and right!  I packed an entire backpack full of stuff for her to do on the plane ride.  She blew through all of it within the first hour.  I had a whole bunch of movies downloaded onto my iPad, and I thought surely that would keep her occupied.  Well, she wasn't interested.  I should have listened to my husband's sage advice and spent the twenty bucks to download "Shaun the Sheep", which is her all-time favorite show in the whole universe.  I was feeling a little cheap though.  Let me tell you, one of the first things I did the next day was cough up the twenty dollars to download "Shaun the Sheep" on the iPad.  It was worth every penny.  And we have definitely gotten our moneys worth.

Funny story about the hotel.  Our plane got in at about 10:30 that night.  After picking up the rental car, we got Jillian a fresh, clean diaper, and put her pajamas on.  I didn't want to have to wake her up to change her once we got to the hotel.  By the time we got the car, changed Jilly, and drove to the hotel, it was after midnight, and Trent and I were completely exhausted.  There was a ton of traffic (yes, at 12:00 at night) because the Final Four was going on the weekend we flew into Atlanta.  We couldn't wait to rest our weary bodies on a nice soft Marriott mattress.  (They have the best beds!)  We pulled up to the hotel and Trent went inside to check us in while I waited in the car with Jillian.  About ten minutes later he came back out to the car to let me know that there was no reservation for us.  Anyway, being that it was the Final Four that weekend, there were exactly zero rooms available.  So Trent pulled out his handy dandy iPad and found another Marriott close by and booked a room.  We got to that hotel, Trent went inside to check us in, and they have no reservation for him.  He booked it for the next day!  Argh!  Well, it just so happens that this hotel had only one room available right then.  The lady at the front desk told Trent that she had had a feeling she needed to keep one room available in case of an emergency.  Well, it turns out we were the emergency!  It's amazing how the Lord took care of us in our hour of need.  Talk about tender mercies.  Because I was not looking forward to living out of our rental car for any period of time.  Especially with a toddler in tow.

 The next day Trent, Jilly and I did some driving around to check out a few areas.  We were there at a time when everything was starting to bloom.  The dogwoods and azaleas were all out in full force.  Talk about beautiful!

I went out with our realtor three days in a row and looked at about 45 houses while I was there.  And Jilly was with me the whole time.  After the plane ride experience we had, I was really worried she was going to be a little turkey during our trip.  But she changed her tune.  She was a complete angel the whole time we were there.  Even with all of the getting in and out of the car constantly.  And we spent tons of time in the car.  She was such a trooper.

 We did take a break in-between looking at houses the second day and went back for a rest at the hotel, and Jillian watched a little bit of her favorite show.  I have to admit, I quite like "Shaun the Sheep" myself.

 On the third day of house hunting, we had another break between appointments, so Jilly and I took a little jaunt over to the temple.  

The flowers were in full bloom, and Jilly had to touch every one of them.  She was really good not to pick them though, which surprised me.

 A little cheese action.

 Not sure what this was all about, but every time we went inside the hotel, Jillian would hug all of the pillars and make this kind of kitten mewling sound.  It cracked me up!

Anyway, after looking at houses for three days straight, I narrowed the list down to five for Trent to come and look at with me.  And there was also a plot of land that we had gone and looked at and really liked.  After looking at the five houses together, we decided on one and put an offer in that night.  Well, so did four other people!  We were pretty confident with our offer, but as a back up, we went to meet with the builder who owned the lot that we really liked.  Well, turns out, the sellers of the home we put an offer on liked someone else's offer better, so we decided to sign a contract with David (the builder) and wait for our house to be built.

Which means that now we have to find a place to rent in the meantime.  I tell you what, I just can't wait to feel settled somewhere again.  I feel like we have been in limbo ever since we sold our house last year.  But, it could be so much worse.  So really, I can't complain.  We have a roof over our heads, we have food to eat, Trent has a job, I get to stay home with the kids, and all our needs are met.  So I guess there is nothing left to do except be grateful for our many blessings.  And that's just what I'm going to do.

While we were gone, the grandmas were so nice to take care of our four older kids.  Trenton and Colson stayed with Janet, and Vivi and Preston stayed with my mom.

 Vivi had some sewing lessons while at grandma's and made herself a new apron.  Didn't it turn out so cute?!

 Buds and Vivi had a little grandpa/grandma pants moment.  (That's what my kids call it when you pull your pants up past your belly button.  Something they learned from their grandpa Stock. Lol!)

 The day Jilly and I left to fly back home, we left for the airport at 5 in the morning.  I was a little nervous about our return flight home considering how she had been on the flight over, especially since I wouldn't have Trent's help this time.  He had to stay in Atlanta for a few more days of training.  I got Jilly and I all checked in and through security then found a place we could get some breakfast.  I grabbed us a fruit and yogurt parfait, and a cup of fruit from a snack stand, then we made our way to the gate.  After getting there, I broke open the food.  Jilly was about 10 bites in when she started choking.  The poor girl turned blue and went completely limp in my arms.  I screamed for help then started doing the Heimlich on her.  It took a few pounds on the back, but luckily it came up.  A blueberry was the culprit.  Any tiredness I had felt at that point from having to get up at four in the morning had completely vanished.  I was wide awake!  And had adrenaline coursing through every vein in my body.  That is the second time I have had to give Jillian the Heimlich, and I hope I never have to again.  Scared me to death!  And her too.  It sure made me grateful for the CPR classes I had taken, even if they were forever ago.  The rest of our airport/plane adventure went much smoother.  Jillian and I got settled on the plane and I turned "Shaun the Sheep" on for her.  And that was that.  She didn't make a peep the entire plane ride.  She even fell asleep for the last 45 minutes.  She didn't wake up until I went to put her in her stroller once we got out into the jetway.

Jilly was so happy to see her brothers and sister when they got home from school that day.

 And they were thrilled to see her!  It was an eventful trip, and we were all so glad to be back home together.

So, here is the lot we signed a contract on.  It is almost an acre and as you can see, there are a ton of trees!  And it is at the and of a cul-de-sac.  Can't wait until the house is done so we can move in!

Belleview Park

We had a lovely Spring Break.  Trent took the whole week off.  It was the first time he had been home for an entire week since Christmas.  Needless to say, it was lovely to have him all to ourselves for more than two or three days at a time.  For one of our outings while he was home, we took a little jaunt over to Belleview Park.  I hadn't taken the kids there since Vivi was little.  I don't think Preston has ever been.  The petting zoo and the train weren't open, but we still had a wonderful time none-the-less.
Pre-warning... it's going to look like my camera threw up all over this blog post.

The water was pretty chilly, but the kids didn't seem to care.

These two sure do love each other.

Little girl in the big girl swing.

Five of the cutest kids around!

Cute sisters.

Is it just me or are these boys getting a little too big for some of the playground equipment?

This kid thinks he's so big tough.

Spinning in the swing is so much more fun than swinging in it.

Cute little piggies.

Daddy and his girls.

Then we went home, and Jilly decided to make a huge mess!  She is so fast and sneaky!

But her cuteness makes up for it. :)

A Dream

I had this dream about six months after my nephew Trevor died.  It has been about a year and a half since I had the dream, but I still remember it like I had dreamt it just last night.  Ever since I had the dream, I kept thinking that I need to write it down so that I would be sure not to forget it.  I don't know why it has taken me so long.  So here goes:

The dream started out at someone's house.  I have no idea whose house it was, and it didn't look familiar to me at all, but there were tons of people there.  It was a smaller house.  Or maybe it just seemed small because there were so many people in it.  We were all there to celebrate Trevor.  In my dream I remember him making the rounds to talk to everyone.  He made sure to visit with each and every person there.  I remember watching him in my dream, just waiting until it was my turn to chat with him.  The conversation Trevor and I had had to do with guitars.  Trevor was an amazing musician.  He played the guitar and bass.  So I wanted to get his opinion on what type of guitar would be best to get for Trenton.  I don't remember exactly what he said about the guitars, but I remember how animated and excited he was to talk about something he enjoyed doing so much.  Which is exactly how he was in real life.  He also told me how excited he was for us to have another baby and that he couldn't wait to meet her.  I remember hearing him laugh a lot as he visited with everyone.  And it sounded just like it had in real life.  He had a very memorable laugh!  After he had visited with everyone, it was time to go.  Everyone piled into their cars and we all drove off to the next place.  When we left the house it was sunny and warm, but as we drove along, the sky became cloudy, the temperature dropped, and it began to rain.  It seemed like we were in the car for a long period of time, driving along an elevated highway in a big city.  Then there it was.  A big white building.  And it was massive!  (Think of an IKEA times five.)  I had never seen such an enormous building before.  There was a huge underground parking lot that we all parked in, then we got out of our cars and started filing into the building.  There were so many hallways and corridors, with room after room at the end of each, and we just kept winding our way through the building.  We were never given any directions on which room to go to, we all just seemed instinctually to know.  We made our way to a room in the building that was full of pews.  The front of the room was laden with bouquets and standing sprays of flowers.  It was so quiet in the room as everyone found a seat.  You could have heard a pin drop.  Then one by one, each person took turns standing at the front of the room and told us what they admired most about Trevor, and how much they loved him.  At one point, I saw Trevor stand up and start walking toward the back of the room.  He looked different to me.  When we were at the house, his hair had been a little bit longer, and a bit unruly.  Now his hair was shorter and combed to perfection, and he looked slightly older.  His clothes were different as well.  He looked very clean cut.  As he was walking by me, I mouthed the words "Where are you going?" to him.  He just looked at me with a small, kind of sad smile on his face.  He put his finger up to his lips, then continued walking, hands in his pockets.  Nobody else in the room seemed to notice he was going.  As he quietly slipped out of the room, I remember knowing he was going on to a better place.  And then I woke up.  And I awoke with such a sense of peace and calm that I hadn't felt in months.  Amazing how a dream can do that.

Cupcakes With Auntie Kiki

This is the fabulous K.P.  We just love her to pieces.  She invited us over a few weeks ago for cupcakes and hot cocoa.

We adopted her into our family when she moved here a few years ago and the kids have thought of her as their Aunt Kiki ever since.  They love their aunt Kiki.  We are really going to miss her when we move to Atlanta!

March 2013

I'm getting there with this whole catching up business.

March 2013:

Colson finished up his science experiment.  He built four types of bridges, then put weights on them to see which one could hold the most weight.  In case you were wondering, it was the arch that could hold the most weight.  Which is not the bridge shown above.

Jilly taught herself some new tricks.  She fell out once, and now just likes to hang precariously on the edge.  Her other trick is to get her legs stuck between the slats.  And I mean stuck.  I have had to use cooking spray on a few occasions to get her legs unstuck!  I'm sure it doesn't help that her legs are so chubby.  :)

The kids and I got to meet up with my cousin Nakole and her darling family at Red Robin.  They were in town for a few days.  It was lovely to see her and meet her kids.  I hadn't seen her and her husband since our grandpa Gubler's funeral over 9 years ago.  It had been way too long!

Our kids all had a blast getting to know each other!

We went with Vivi's teacher, Mr. Kennedy, and a few of her classmates to the fire station/police department to deliver some goodies.

Funny story.  The firefighter in this picture and his crew are the ones that saved Jilly when she was a mere 7 weeks old.  Story found here.

I read this fabulous book.  I highly recommend it!  I keep lists of the books I read by the year.  I was looking at my list from last year and noticed I had only read 6 books.  6 books!  The whole year!!!  I used to read a book a week.  (Although that was before having my third child.  It's been a while!)  It wasn't one of my better years for reading.  Of course having 5 kids doesn't seem to leave much time for reading.  And by the time I go to bed at night, I'm way too tired to be able to keep my eyes open long enough to read a few sentences.  My goal this year is to at least read more books than I did last year.  I'm setting the bar pretty high.  Hopefully I can do it.  ;)

This is my errand buddy.  And this is a pretty accurate picture of what she usually looks like by the time we get done with our errands.  Poor girl!

Trent went to Amsterdam, grew his hair out, and dyed it green.  Just kidding.  It's a wig if you couldn't tell.

He was only there a few days and most of that was spent in meetings, but his coworkers convinced him to go take a walk through the Red Light District with them.

During daylight I might add.  When there was no craziness going on.  His mom told him not to, but he just wouldn't listen.  ;)

Trenton got his braces off!  He was so excited!  And a few days that, he cut his hair short.  Between braces off, and a new haircut, he looked so grown up!  Like he had aged another year or two in just a few days!  And his voice is changing.  Stop growing I say!

These two have been as goofy as ever.  Preston got in the car one day after school and for some unknown reason was yelling out, "Pumpkin farts! Pumpkin farts!"  To which Vivi responded, "When a pumpkin farts, does it smell like pumpkin pie?"  Good question Viv.

We spent a day over at grandma and grandpa's a couple weeks after grandma Stock had her total knee surgery.  Grandma said she was getting sick of herself and needed some company.  We were happy to oblige.  Vivi showed Jilly how to dress the Barbies and Jilly loved every minute of it.

And Preston and Vivi thought grandpa was their pony for the day.

I tried my darnedest to get caught up on our whole laundry situation.  I was semi-successful.  For about a day.  Then it looked like this again.  A friend of mine suggested starting a nudist colony.  So, so tempting.

Jilly stole Trenton's dinner one night.  And he let her.  Cause he's an awesome big brother like that.  No wonder she loves him so much.  I'm pretty sure he would do anything for her.

Vivi acquired the nickname Fred.  Cause Jilly used to call her friend.  And it sounded kinda like Fred.

Trenton and I made an apple pie for him to take and share with his class for pi day.  We made pumpkin too.  His personal favorites.

A birthday text for Uncle Ryan.  Cause we love him.

Easter Sunday.  These are the dresses my mom made for them this Easter.  She is one amazing seamstress!

We had Easter dinner with all the family the day before Easter.  On Easter Sunday, we ended going over to my dear friend Michelle's house.  And this is the only picture I have from either day.

Trent took another trip over to Atlanta to do some house hunting.  He found a house that we loved!  It was on two acres, there was a pool in the yard, a playground, it was completely updated, and my favorite part... it had a 5 car garage!  We put an offer on it immediately.  And so did 4 other people.  Needless to say, we did not win that bidding war.  So he took another trip a couple weeks later and found another house.  But after getting the inspection done, and learning about all of the fire hazards going on in the basement (they finished it themselves) and finding out we would have to pretty much rip out the basement to fix it, we backed out of that deal.  Then we found another house.  The lot was amazing!!!  To say the least.  It was an acre and a half lot.  It backed to a lake, had it's own dock, a playground and basketball hoop in the back yard, and huge, beautiful pine trees to shade it all.  And the owners said they would leave us their paddle boat and fishing boat.  We pretty much were buying the house for the lot.  Because the house itself was less than fabulous.  First of all, it was small.  But with the beautiful yard, I was willing to look past that.  Second of all, the house was pink.  The whole thing, inside and out.  Carpet, blinds, tile, you name it.  All in various shades of pink from fuchsia to baby pink.  I was willing to look past that too.  It wasn't anything a little paint, new flooring, and some elbow grease couldn't fix.  But then we got down to the nitty grittiness of the situation.  It needed all new pipes, we would have to add a bathroom to the basement, and it needed all new siding.  That added to all of the other work we were going to have to do, the house was proving to be a money pit.  But the yard!  We were blinded to the house at first because we loved the yard so much.  It was that nice!  But after thinking it through, we backed out of that deal too.  And pushed our move date back another month.  And increased our level of anxiety.  Oh well... such is life.