She's HERE!

Baby C
Born Monday, Oct. 4th at 12:47pm
7 lbs 3.9 oz.
20.5 inches long.
Everything went so smoothly with mom's 2nd VBAC.
Baby C is healthy and beautiful.
We are so blessed.

Still here!

It's finally starting to feel like fall here! We had such a fun summer. I plan to update you on that soon. D is back from his travels now and in his last year of doctorate studies at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music; Aubrey started full-day kindergarten and loves it (though I miss her immensely); and we're feeling just about ready to add a new little one to the mix.

I'm due in 5 days and feeling like the baby is coming soon. We'll see. 10-10-10 is what Doug is hoping for. :)

The kids got pictures taken for their 3rd and 5th birthdays, and I gave in and got some of me too. I'm having loading issues with blogger, so there's an update. I've been having random contractions today (and I don't usually get much of Braxton Hicks contractions) so there may be baby pictures to show you in the next few days!

Sledding

This past week has been warm and the grass is now visible (yay!), but a few weeks ago this is what it looked like outside. You can't really see the whole view--it was a LOT of snow. This is next to our condo--a nice small hill. Last time we went, the kids were petrified. We went on a huge hill with jumps and everything, so I don't blame them. A was willing to do it this time, but Z mostly shivered and looked cute. They lasted about 30 min. Then we went swimming at Silverlake's indoor pool to warm up. :)

Birthday Party

Aubrey turned four last week! She wanted a princess party. We invited her closest friends since our place is a bit small...we wish we could have invited you all. She requested a pinata and a piggy bank for her birthday and got both, since--after all--it was a princess party and she's a Pew. :)

We made necklaces and played pin-the-heart-on-the-crown.

Then came the pull string Cinderella pinata. Things have to be dainty when you're in princess attire.Presents...she was spoiled!Lunch
Doug and I made a Cinderella cake! I found a how-to on youtube. It was worth all the work--it turned out beautifully. Can you tell which princess is Aubrey's favorite?

We didn't know where to put the candles...we didn't want Cinderella to catch on fire!The party was so much fun. Thanks to my cousin for your help with planning it!

Fourth of July

We had fun at the McRoberts house on the fourth of July with dinner and a *few* fireworks in the garage. It was pouring rain so we didn't do the big fireworks, but the kids didn't mind at all! (Now we're set for next year.) The highlight for the kids was finding a small frog...but nothing compares to the one we found in our flowerpot yesterday! :)

Me with adorable baby J

Baby frog

BIG frog

8 Bagatelles

I will admit, free time around here is sparse, and free time with Doug is EXTREMELY rare. So I find it a priority to go into his "world" sometimes. I often forget that he goes to school everyday, with his own daily routines and pressures and homework. So it's always a bit of a reality check for me when I get to dress up and go to a concert. I realize that he's taking classes, doing homework, composing, fulfilling church callings, and taking care of his family. I get so impressed and appreciate him and his hard work so much more.

So, we went on a date last weekend. To a concert, of course. :) I got to sit in a nice chair and SIT STILL! But let's face it, my attention span is out of practice. I got fidgety. I kept thinking I needed to whip out a book for my little ones, or wipe a dirty mouth. I can keep kids entertained for an hour. But me, sitting still for a few hours? That's a rarity. Don't get me wrong, though--I could get used to it. :)

But enough about me. We dropped the kids off to get babysat, then headed to Cincinnati Conservatory of Music to hear a performance of Doug's 8 Bagatelles. It was performed by the wind ensemble and Dr. Milligan conducted. The pieces are all about happenings in our family life. My favorite is Faucet. (which, thank goodness, is no longer leaky!) Click HERE to hear the piano version of it. Or, go to his website, douglaspew.com.

Easter Sunday

We had Easter basket fun that morning, then headed to Ohio to see the blessing of cute baby Mckenzie, the Walling's new addition!

The wind was a bit fierce, but that didn't stop the kids from playing outside. Who can resist dandelions and green grass to frolic in? We can't wait for the day when we have our own yard. (Hmm, have I said that before?)

These kids were exhausted after all that fun. Their faces show it all.
Notice: After seeing these pictures I noticed how badly we'd buckled them in and fixed the twisted carseats. :)

Easter egg hunts

We went on two egg expeditions. The first one was at our church with breakfast and games. Aubrey played a game where you roll an egg across the room, then jump with it in-between your legs. She was SO particular in making sure she rolled it only with her nose. It was hilarious watching as 3 or 4 boys sped by on the other team.
Zach had no clue what to do for the egg hunt--by the time he figured it out, the eggs were gone!

The second hunt was with mommy and Aubrey. Aubrey sure got the hang of it this year. She was extremely competitive, darting faster than all the toddlers and trying to steal their eggs. However, she was very nice to share her finds with the family.

Buzz

Little Z got a haircut, but the back was still too long for my taste. Doug thought he could fix it and went at it...and basically shaved the back off.

"Why doesn't he stop moving?" Doug kept saying. Haha! Now we know how hard the hairdressers have it.

So we had no choice but to buzz Zach's hair. This boy was born with more hair than he has now. :(

Lessons learned:

1-Doug's vowed to never, EVER cut anyone's hair again

2-Zach is going to a professional kid's salon next time (that is, if his hair ever grows out again.)

This is his classic mischevious grin. In this pic he's getting into a waterbottle and about to spill it everywhere.

Staying Afloat

Lately I feel like giving up. I'm tired of everything. I know I've had a bad attitude--it's mostly because I get sick of trials. God gives me trials to grow, but a lot of times they're so hard for me that I get stubborn and stop trusting in Him. The kids seem to be fighting more than ever these days. I've found myself short tempered because of it. I've been too busy, and am learning to say no...anyway. It's to the point where I don't even want to talk about it.

As of yesterday, I'm trying to read my scriptures (yet again) and sincerely pray for strength. I seem to always fall in this rut where I think I can do things myself, but then end up failing miserably after trying. If I just let Him, God helps me more than I ever could on my own.

That's why this blog's been neglected. Let's liven things up a bit!

Kyle and Aaron (BYU-I friends) stayed at our place last weekend while they auditioned at CCM. It was Kyle's birthday that weekend so we had to celebrate!

Doug's aunt and uncle stopped by on their way home from serving a mission in Canada.

We had dinner and dancing. It was so fun to see them.

What more do you need: a purse, sunglasses and Diet Dr. Pepper?

We like to kiss each other on our way down the stairs to our apt.

A cold Sunday walk.

These two make me smile.

She's already a little "mommy."

Getting ready to fight.

Albert the kitty and blankie are Zach's favorites. And his pink chair. Poor boy, stuck with pink accessories. :)