Eat dirt

This weekend we had a long weekend down in Davenport camping with Larry, Toni, Gretchen, Adam, Ken, Janaan, Rich, Felicia and Jessica. Dustin's family has pretty much made the trek down to Bix every year since...well, as long as I have known them.

It was a record breaking trip for many reasons but mostly because it was officially the first weekend we went camping that we didn't have severe storms. What a change!

Saturday morning was the annual Bix7 race. Dustin, Larry and Ken have all run in the 7 mile race at one time or another but this year due to injury or lack of training...none were able to participate. Nonetheless, we had a good time (except for one psycho heckler) watching a sea of physical fitness whiz past us towards the finish line.




The Hostess people were kind enough to hand out Twinkies to everyone and I had to wonder what all these runners thought as they ran past people stuffing their faces with the sugary goodness.

I don't think Lauren cared what the runners may have thought...she just wanted to know if she could have their Twinkie, too!



After the race was over we went downtown to eat some funnel cake and have the kids play some games.



The kids had a blast but it quickly became very apparent that Lauren had missed her morning nap and that they were both ready for a little sleepy time. So we headed back to the truck and got everyone ready for the ride back to the campground.

Of course neither child lasted very long and soon they had each taken an hour nap and were fully recharged from the mornings events. Dustin and I, of course, had no time for a nap and were physically exhausted. But for some reason...kids don't really care if you're ready to collapse.

So I gave up on the idea of an afternoon nap and got the kids ready for a trip to the playground.





Our campground was right on the Mississippi River so Josh got to see his first barge.



Anyone who knows Dustin, knows his love of cargo ships of any sort. His fascination with the Edmund Fitzgerald and several other shipwrecks borderlines on obsession. So when he went running to show Josh a barge and Josh's response was, "Huh. Dad can I go fishing?" it kind of burned a little.

Even though Josh was not fascinated with the barges, I was taken by the beauty of the river. After the events of June I have a new respect for the power of a river. And to see it glisten in the sunlight on Sunday morning was amazing.



Sunday was our last day there so we let the kids try out the big playground one last time before we left.




And not that there aren't a million things different between Dustin and I...we found one more.

Mommy's idea of pushing Lauren on the swing...



Daddy's idea of pushing Lauren on the swing...



**shaking my head**

Dustin made me promise not to step in because, and I quote, "SHE LOVES IT!!"

Right before we left Lauren was getting a little brave running after Josh and Jessica and ended up face planting in a big pile of dirt. But like my little girl, she picked herself up, pulled the dirt out of her mouth and had a good laugh!



In other news, Josh just realized that Mattie is a girl. I'm not quite sure how after all this time he didn't realize his dog was not a boy. But he was SHOCKED to find out otherwise.

He was also shocked that there was such a thing as beer.

JOSH: What's this?
ME: Beer.
JOSH: Just beer?
ME: Yes.
JOSH: Not Root Beer?
ME: Nope.
JOSH: Really. How silly.

He cracks me up.

This week's update on baby: 7 weeks.

Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

"So....was this planned?"

My how things can change in just two weeks. Two weeks ago we were planning a family vacation for next year and now we are figuring out how we will afford another child in daycare and in diapers.

Things are setting in. The excitement over another baby is creeping in and the fear is moving out. I had my medical history appointment today and a bunch of lab work. My arms feel like they were digging for oil. Ouch! This was the first time I felt severely self-conscious about the dreaded question..."Was this a planned pregnancy?"

Me: Uh...no?
Nurse: Were you using birth control?
Me: **nervous chuckle**
Nurse: (staring)
Me: Uh, kind of.
Nurse: What method were you using?
Me: Uh...a wing and a prayer?

I wanted to continue with my new, little, standard speech...which is the following:

I mean, honestly, who would have thought this would...COULD...even happen? We tried for a year and a half for Lauren and had to turn to medical intervention to finally help us along.

And what I want to finish that speech with (but refrain) is:

Don't look at me like that. Yes, things like this happen to people who have college educations. I am not stupid. (Pause) I'm not white-trash!!!

But it was obvious that she did not care as much about this being an unplanned pregnancy as I.

I wish I could just be gleefully excited like Dustin but I am my own worst critic and somehow feel like I screwed up. Maybe it's because I am a planner and this was the opposite of that. Or maybe it's just because I am to "reality" as Dustin is to "dreams".

Honestly, I think it's that I still can't believe that this is actually happening. I thank God for this pregnancy. And sometimes you don't know you want something until you get it. And since this will be my last pregnancy...I will be sure to enjoy every minute of it.

I've been busy trying to find ways to physically exhaust my children so that they want to go to bed early; in turn, I can go to bed early as well. So Thursday and Friday I took them out to the mall playground and let them run wild.






They had a blast and I got a little quiet time to myself. Needless to say we will be doing that again very soon.

Saturday morning I woke up at 5:15 and decided that I should go for a walk. Well, Lauren must have heard me getting ready and thought that a walk sounded good. So I got her dressed and her and I went on an hour long walk. I had to laugh because everyone driving past me must have thought that I was a crazy woman to have a small child out on a walk at 5:30 in the morning.

It was a great morning for a walk, though.

I don't know how I have forgotten to introduce our newest member of the family. Please give a warm welcome to "Fishy Fishy"!!!



Josh named him. He has done a wonderful job in making sure that Fishy Fishy is fed every morning and he talks to him every day to see how he's doing. It really is adorable to see him so dedicated.

I hope everyone is having a great week and enjoying the heat!

The shock of a lifetime!

Well...I'll just come out and say it....

WE ARE...



I know, I know. Pick your jaw up off the table. We were very surprised, too. To be honest, I don't think it has really sunk in yet. I find myself forgetting or thinking it was just a dream but then I remember...this is for real. And that's when I blurt out, "I can't believe it."

Saturday morning we were all down in the basement playing a video game. This was the conversation...

ME: I'm late.
DUSTIN: How late?
ME: Late.
DUSTIN: (excited) HOW LATE?
ME: Like...8 days late.
DUSTIN: Are you serious?

(pause)

DUSTIN: Have you ever been this late before?

(pause)

ME: Yeah.....twice. (As Josh and Lauren sit in between us.)

We finished playing Josh's game and I came upstairs to take a shower. I quick took a test and hopped in the shower figuring that by the time I was finished the results would be ready.

Dustin came in to shave and said, "Is this a new test?" I completely thought he was joking. I said, mockingly, "Yeah?" He asked if I had seen it. I told him to shut up. He said, "I think you need to look at this."

He handed it over the top of the shower and even without my glasses I could see what it said. At about that time my vision went blurry, my body went numb and I screamed, "OH. MY. GOD!"

When I think about everything we went through to get our little Lauren..well, lets just say I never thought this would be possible on our own again. We are overjoyed, nervous, overwhelmed and obviously very excited.

I really cannot believe this is happening. It's been a complete whirl-wind and I pretty much felt God grab the wheel and change our lives' direction in a millisecond.

And I thank Him for it because the feeling has been amazing.

Saturday night we went to church and the sermon was about sowing the seeds of faith. And as I sat there I couldn't help but think of the news we had just received and how fitting the message. The closing hymn was one of Dustin's favorites, "On what has now been sown", and I stood there singing...really listening to the words and couldn't help but feel emotional.

The weather was gorgeous this weekend. We pretty much were outside from Friday night until late Sunday night. I took the kids on a nice long walk on Friday night and again on Sunday morning.



We had the ritual "hosing down with sunscreen" just about every hour and like in times past...mom forgot to protect herself. How do we do that as mothers? I have the children slathered like pigs at the county fair with sunscreen and yell at them if they take their hats off for even just one second, yet I stand out there with not one drop of protection.

Oh well.

So while Dustin mowed today the kids and I played on the swing set and enjoyed the glorious weather.




Have a great week!!!

And I'm asking for volunteers of someone willing to tell my boss that I'm due in the middle of tax season.....any takers?

Wishing I was four again

We really didn't have anything planned for this weekend other than Dad and Thomas coming to town. We didn't go to the fireworks because they are too late for Lauren and if she screamed and cried through the entire display then no one would have any fun. Instead we had a mini-firework display in our backyard...thanks to Dad and his Minnesota fireworks. They were pretty much glorified sparklers in a tube but we clapped and cheered like they were the real thing.

On Thursday, Miss Mattie found a nest of baby bunnies. I wondered what was taking her so long outside and when I went out to check on her I heard the all familiar "squeak" of a baby bunny. I know you will all be shocked, but when I told Mattie to drop it, she did. And when I told her to come in the house, she did. Either the stars were aligned or the Gods were smiling...either way she made me proud.



We've been checking on them every day and Josh thought that we should put carrots where we want them to go and then they'd go there. From what we'd seen there were only three. So when Dustin went to mow the lawn he found three bunnies and went on his way. Unfortunately, there were actually five. You can guess what happened. Dustin felt awful. I was sickened. Even worse, one had barely survived and neither of us could do anything to end its suffering. So we called the emergency vet clinic and delivered the injured bunny so that they could take care of it humanely.

Josh does not know and we are choosing to keep it that way. Ironically, him and I had had a very interesting conversation about death just the week before. And while it probably would have been a good lesson for him and a reinforcement of our conversation from the week before, I could not bear to make him upset.

On a much, much, much lighter note...Lauren found a new toy.



She has hundreds of dollars worth of toys and she grabs the $1.99 hamper for a good time. Go figure.

And after a little ordeal, I finally got Lauren's pictures from her photo shoot last month. I'm still as in love with them as I was when I first saw the originals...maybe even more so. Although, now I'm not sure if I'm more shocked by the fact that she's changed so much in just one month or the fact that this little girl came from Dustin and me.





Aren't they amazing?!?! I know most of you would vomit if you knew how much I paid for them and if I wasn't so emotionally attached I probably would vomit, too. But to be honest...I would have paid twice as much.

Then Saturday I thought it would be good to get the kids outside and in the water. I had purchased a "splash pad" for the kids hoping that Lauren would be more excited to play in the water. But Josh still seemed to be the only one having any fun in the water and Lauren was more concerned about driving her car. Given my past adventures, I will admit that I am more than a little concerned about her fascination with cars.




Then I told Josh I would make him a "poor man's water slide". Oh. My. God. That was so much fun!!! And if my butt would have fit...and if that slide would have held my weight...I SO would have gone down it!!!



It was so funny and we all had a ball!!