Utah Recap: Thursday

In the beginning of August we took a road trip to Utah to attend the wedding of my brother Brent and his wife Jessica. Here is the run-down.

Jeff and I and the kids left for Utah on Wednesday morning around 6:30am. We woke up the kids, got them dressed and fed and loaded them in the truck for a road trip. The trip was really good. Adelle didn't get sick once! That's a new record. I had bought her these and they were magical. Worked like a charm! She was so relieved to not get sick in the car.

I had packed us lunch and snacks for the car and we each had our own water bottle so the only stops were gas and to potty. We made super good time. The kids were great and by dinner we were in Boise, ID, where we found a Cafe' Rio to start our eating out on the right foot. After dinner we continued another couple hours to Twin Falls, ID where we stayed the night at the KOA campground.

I had reserved the KOA and we thought it was a good idea to stop and get a good nights sleep rather then keep driving. Plus, it was cheaper than another night in a Hotel so we brought our tent and set it up when we got to camp around 7:30pm. The kids played there on the playground, Jeff and I attempted a game of horse shoes, and then shortly after that we all went to bed... or tried. This was the night I tossed and turned and whined to my husband for what seemed like forever. I was so hot, tired, and uncomfortable on a hard ground with a big belly. But we made it! I'm still alive :)

On Thursday morning we got up, loaded up, took down the tent and checked out of the camp to drive the remaining 4 hours to American Fork, UT. The kids had gotten a good nights sleep and were ready to go meet up with everyone else. We stayed at a Hotel where all the rest of our family was staying. When we got there around 1:00pm we all went straight for the pool. This was one of our favorite parts of the trip. Swimming with our cousins, uncles, Bama and Umpa... everyone just hung out and swam and messed around. The water felt so good and we all needed some energy burnt off!
At the hotel were my parents, Bryce and his girlfriend Chelsey, my Gramy, Lesha and Peter and their kids, and us. It was great. And Brent met us here to swim as well.

 After a good swim and giving the kids a nap we headed over to the Bride-to-Be's parents house for a yummy homemade dinner. It was so wonderful. The kids played hard in the backyard with Jessica and Brent and Jessica's younger brothers Mitchel and Taylor. We all had a blast. It was literally in the high 90's temperature wise but it was fun to get to know their family and to get more wiggles out. The meal they prepared was so yummy with lots of fresh salads and tasted so refreshing. Jessica's family is so wonderful!

I love this picture of Jessica. She is really beautiful inside and out and and so down to earth and sweet.

I don't have a picture of this part but after dinner Jessica's mom, Joyce, took Lesha, Chelsey, and I, over to where the reception would be held the next night. We helped do a bit of decorating there while the kids and the dads hung out at the house.

Then on the way back to the Hotel Jeff and I made a stop at Walmart to buy our supplies for this homemade gift we would present to Brent the next night. It's an inside joke so without going into too much detail Jeff was insistent that Brent have his own, "I got lucky" shirt. We didn't know where we would buy one so I figured we could make one. We bought the shirt and the iron on letters and then just some white paint. I drew a four-leaf clover on a piece of cardboard once we were back in our hotel room and we used it as a stencil. We used the wash cloth from the hotel to dab on the paint but were sure to quickly wash it out so as to not ruin it ;). We make a pretty good team! I must say it turned out better than either of us expected and Brent had no idea it was hand made.

Oh, and this is what the kids were doing while we were busy at work! We joined them as soon as we could. We were all wiped out from a busy, fun packed, day!

Stay tuned for Friday and wedding pictures galore!!

Introducing...

Mr. and Mrs. Brent Froberg!!

Brent and Jess got married 3 weeks ago today. It was a beautiful ceremony for a beautiful and happy couple. We love Jessica and her and Brent are a really cute match. More pictures and a run down of the trip to come;)

the happy side

Jeff and I are miserably sick and have been for the last 2 days. I thought the flu was only supposed to last 24 hours?
We are a sad case over here!
Thankfully we have three little happy sparks to keep our spirits on the up side.
Yesterday I felt so awful and so guilty. My kids were so bored and sick of watching movies. I told them I would paint their faces and you would have thought I had given them their own gallon of ice-cream. They were so excited. They played so well in character for the rest of the day.
Love these little ones.

  Spider Man                                    Butterfly                                                Spider Man

On the other side Jeff is way more sick than I am. I think he has probably lost 10 lbs. and doesn't seem to be getting better anytime soon.
I have been trying to keep my mom away ( I really don't like exposing anyone to sick germs) but she has been persistant on coming over and bringing 7-UP, applesauce bananas and chicken noodle soup. Today she took the kids for a while and Jeff and I just slept the whole time.
Baby boy in the tum tum is not being super cooperative. Have you ever been completely nauseas and constantly kicked in the stomach? It's a joke. I am happy that he is doing lots of moving around in there but it sure does stir up an already upset tummy.
Being sick sure does make you appreciate your health!!!
What do you eat when you are sick? We are completely weak but can't seem to keep anything in.

Do you see a theme?

love this little monster  man!

He wishes he was a scary monster/bad guy.... 

but he's just so not.

baby talk

33 weeks pregnant

Picture taken by Braxton

This morning I got to hold a good friend's newborn baby. It kind-of hit me all of a sudden that I am going to have one of those again soon.

The past 33 weeks have been a whirlwind. Life has been so busy and I honestly forget I am even pregnant, honestly.

There are some fun things going on around here and I wanted to make sure that I remember them.

They are not in any particular order.

* Adelle wants to know how the baby got in and how it is getting out. She asked me this tonight, at the dinner table, and I told her we would talk about it later. Her response, "ok, like when the boys can't see?" I have no idea what that was suppossed to mean. Needless to say I forgot to answer her. Later came and went and now they are in bed and it will have to wait for another day. Gives me time to prepare, I guess.

* The baby boy has a name!! This is like as of last week so we are really excited about it! It's not a secret but I'm not going to post it until he's born. You can ask me though, and I will tell you. It did take us a while on this one but we got it, and it's perfect!

* The kids kiss my belly now and love to feel him move. It's fun to listen to them squeal when they feel a kick.

* I am still totally comfortable and sleeping well at night. While in Utah for my brother's wedding I didn't sleep well but it must have been the heat/air conditioner/adrenaline... I don't know because once I was home I could sleep again.

* Often Braxton will randomly say, "Wow, I just can't believe we are having another baby." It makes me laugh every time. As if he has some major role in the whole occurrence. He says it with a lot of obligation like it may just send him over the edge or something. He's baffled by the whole thing apparently.

* I am most curious about Emmett and can't really even imagine him as not being the baby. He is so babied by everyone around here that it will be interesting to see what he thinks of his new baby brother. I am not looking forward to him looking big next to the baby. That's always emotional for me.

* Baby comes alive at night time and last night Jeff and I laid in bed and watched my stomach move. It's still such a miracle. 

* I had to look at the Due Date Calculator on the computer before this post to know how far along I even am. Talk about way different than pregnancies 1,2, and 3!

* I still squeeze into some of my same clothes. Maternity clothes are just not the same as my good old t-shirt, yoga pants, and hoodie.

* Earrings and heals do a lot for me lately. It's amazing how much more attractive those two accessories can make you feel when you need it.

* My whole family have turned into "ice chewing maniacs." It started with me. Then Jeff was hooked shortly after. Now all 3 kids have to have crushed ice in their water every time. I guess I am a trend setter. Our ice machine is working overtime.

* Fresh, homemade fruit crisp is my favorite thing in the world and I ate it 3 days in a row. Day 1 was one that I made for my mom's house guests. It was Raspberry Rhubarb (both from our garden). Day 2 and 3 was my mom's creation with fresh blackberries from her yard and peaches. Yum!

* No swollen nothing! I have been so nervous in this heat and in Utah heat that I would swell up like a balloon but so far none. Still crossing my fingers (and drinking tons of water!)

* No baby hiccups. Not yet anyway. I like it when the baby hiccups because it reassures me that baby is head down.

* I am not super tired. I remember in pregnancies past being wiped out and so far I don't have that this time. Maybe it's because I have more to do?  Maybe it's because the sun is giving me energy? Maybe it's because I'm just not to that point of the pregnancy yet?... don't know.

* Two of my siblings have gotten married and I have been hugely pregnant at each of their weddings. I only have one sibling left....

* I am reading the best "parenting" book ever. It is making me feel very French. I love her view and have many similar parenting philosophies. It's been a really empowering read.

*We don't have a nursery. Our home is growing smaller and our family is growing bigger. I am not complaining. The former babies room is now the play room so we will see what we work out. I don't think babies require much space (they fit in your belly).

* I am total chill this time around. It's been the best pregnancy and I think it's because I haven't given it my every ounce of energy. I am happy. I am busy. I have a full life. I have done it before. I know it's not really in my hands. I am excited. I am still. It's awesome.

the big, long, house painting project

A couple weeks ago Jeff had a few open days on his calander so we decided to be sporadic and paint our house. It wasn't completely sporadic; we've planned on painting all summer. We just all of a sudden decided to do it then.
Thankfully Sherwin Williams was having a sale the weekend we decided to buy paint. Score.
It's not done yet but you can see the just of it. The color we chose is called "Enduring Bronze" and we are really happy with how it looks. We will still do the trim and replace the front door and shutters on the front windows.
The project is taking longer than expected but we are still enjoying it. The kids love to help but Jeff and I have been strategically getting up early and painting before the kids wake up... to help our own sanity :0
It's also been extreemly warm during this project. On one particular day after painting for hours we got the kids McDonald's and took them to Birch Bay as a treat. They have been real troopers through this whole process. Jeff and I ended up swimming in the bay that night. It was so cool and refreshing and we were so hot and spent from painting most the day.

Old Settlers Parade

The summer is totally getting away from me! I have so much to do.... and yet this part of me can't stand it when my blog gets behind. It's like my journal, and if I miss time I always make sure to catch it up.

So here is half the family in the Annual Old Settlers Parade back in July. We decided last minute to enter, for advertising, and we are glad we did. It was a beautiful day and if nothing else got our name out there to the locals.

I drove the van. (It was easier than I thought after fretting over it for a while).
Adelle sat shot gun and waved like a princess.
Jeff attempted to hand out flyers but it was too much for him to do alone so he just walked and waved and showed face.
Braxton rode his bike like a champ.
Emmett was the hit. He was the one who got the heads to turn and look our way. He cruised on his little motorcycle the whole route of the parade without stopping. He was a little man on a mission and it was pretty cute.

We all wore Centsible Services t-shirts.

Next year we will be more creative but for this year it worked well.

Sunday

It's Sunday. I sit in church. To my left is my little girl sitting on the lap of a woman. We know her, she is a friend. She sits down a few spots from me, alone, while her husband is on the stand in another ward. My little girl is on her lap, playing with her jewelry. My little girl will sit on anyone's lap. It's been proven over and over. That's how my little girl is. She is friendly and innocent and has a sure love for people of all ages.

To my right is my boy. He isn't so little anymore. He is busy with pencil and paper tracing a motorcycle he found in his little brothers bag. He is quiet. He is listening. He leans over to me and tells me that he wants to bear his testimony. This isn't the first time he has courageously walked up to the pulpit. The next thing I know he is gone. He is in the front of our church. He is telling the congregation what he knows to be true and how he feels about it. The Spirit is working through him to touch the hearts of those who hear.
He confidently proclaims,
 "I would like to bear my testimony. I know this church is true. I know the Commandments are true and that when we obey them we are happy and the Spirit can feel in us. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."
My heart is full.

My baby boy is asleep in the overflow on his daddy's lap. It's 2:00pm and a hard time for a little one to sit through church.  I wonder if my love was able to hear the simple truths bore by his son.

My boy comes down and sits a little closer to me than he was before. I put my arm around him and tell him thank you. He smiles and simply says, "every time after I give a talk I just feel so happy."
It is true and I am reminded;
 Matthew 18: 3 "... Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little ^achildren, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

the 2 year old

Emmett is the party around our house lately. He is so fun to be around. Fun to talk to, fun to listen to, fun to laugh at. Braxton and Adelle love him so much and he is constantly hamming it up for them. Jeff and I decided the other day that every home needs a two year old. They are just so irresistible!

Emmett is going through a "no shirt" phase. He never wants his shirt on. He has a very tan belly, back and a very while bum. His hair has bleached out a ton this summer too and he is the ultimate surfer baby.

Emmett isn't sure about the baby in my tummy. The other kids talk about it and Emmett just sort of looks at my growing belly in denial. When I ask him if he is my baby he usually say's either, "yes, I your baby mom," or "no, I am super Emmett", or "no I am big!" I never know what answer I am going to get from him but they are all so sweet.

I feel like Emmett has been "the baby" longer than any of my other kids. I think it is because Braxton and Adelle spoil him and we do really all baby him a bit. I am curious to see how he does with a new baby brother but I know he will love him and be a good buddy to him.

At bed time Emmett is the total instigator. They all sleep together and Emmett is the one who plays at bed time and convinces the others to play as well. It's gotten a little crazy this summer as we haven't been as diligent about bed time. We are ok with it for now. It's fun to stand outside their room and listen to what goes on in there.

Emmett loves the dirt/water/mud. He will play all day out in the backyard making, "mud soup" as he calls it. Most days that we are home he is filthy dirty and happy as a clam.

Emmett was our surprise baby and has been the greatest surprise ever. He is so full of love and so bashfully cute and sweet. He thinks he is just as big and capable as the rest of us and yet sometimes he is super timid and shy. I can't get enough of this boy.