Posing

I wanted to share a few pics of our little "hams" taken 2 Sundays ago. We had just come home from meeting, and we talked them into sitting still long enough for a quick click or two. Aren't they sweet? :-)

Getting Better

Well, we are finally on the mend. Everyone except for Ken, that is. He came down with the cold stuff that we have been passing around- he started feeling bad last night and is snortin' around here today. I'm sure he would appreciate my terminology. Anyways, I am over my cold (almost anyways) and the two older boys are just fighting lingering congestion. Sweet baby K has seemed to elude the bug thus far, and we are all sanitizing our hands constantly in hopes that he doesn't get it at all.
I spent the day today making several kinds of cookies to take with us when we go home for the holidays. I love to bake...it's my favorite hobby here lately. I ended up with peanut butter blossoms, russian teacakes, split second cookies(shortbread and jam type), sugar cookies, some choc ones,chocolate covered pretzels, and a yule log....and a rather messy kitchen! I didn't get to the cut-out butter cookies, but it's more fun to make them with Mom, anyways! We will head over there tomorrow afternoon (weather & health permitting, of course) and stay in OH til Sunday afternoon. We are planning a busy holiday with Christmas in the morning at Mom and Dad's , then out to my grandparents for dinner. Saturday we want to go visit my other grandpa and then go to Ken's parents' for the night. I'm really looking forward to being home. I haven't seen my extended family since July, so it will be nice to spend some time with them!!
I hope everyone has a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Down for the count

Did you ever feel like winter is just like someone pushed a "pause" button and everything (like the sunshine, playing outside, and spending time with friends without worrying how many days it will be until your kids are sick) just hangs there until spring? I am feeling like that today. My two older boys are sick this week. Bradyn has had sniffles, but they seem to be getting worse instead of better-maybe slightly better this morning than yesterday. Sunday afternoon Hunter woke up from his nap with a fever and now he has the cold symptoms, too. It's no fun for them, although they do an admirable job of keeping on playing with a snort every now and then. It's also no fun to try and keep them away from their little brother. That means constantly telling them to step back from his play area and to wash their hands, to cover their mouths when they sneeze...yada yada. We have tried our best to keep the kids at home , but they still seem to pick up viruses every time we do go somewhere. Do people knowingly visit public places while sick? Last week we went to a really nice italian restaurant and were enjoying our meal when someone came in and sat in the booth behind us and started coughing, sneezing, blowing her nose, etc. right behind us. We knew it would be a matter of days. Now, I know that on the scale of illnesses, a cold bug is a pretty mild one. It could be a LOT worse. The thing that gets me is that some of these bugs can be alot worse for a tiny baby than they are for adults or older children, and it seems like people just don't realize that. SO, I guess we will continue to be hermits for the remainder of the winter season(except for the commitments we already have)...and hope my poor boys don't go stir crazy. Only....3 more months to go. Bleh.

Why Breakfast takes so long at our house...

When we sit down to eat in the morning it goes something like this:

1. Sit down (ok, this sounds easy, but it's not!! Remember, I have THREE little boys!)

2. Decide WHAT to eat. This process is made easier if I choose for them. Unless, of course, that decision prompts someone to ask for something else. In that case, my attempt to be speedy only causes more delay as we discuss why we must eat what is put in front of us, even if the desired cookie is sitting on the counter RIGHT THERE!

3. Say our prayers- this usually goes off without a hitch. Unless whoever is praying forgets to stop in time for Hunter to say "In Jesus' name, Amen". Then we have a little discussion again.

4. Boys seem to be eating well, so I go in the next room to change the laundry loads around. I come back to see some very creative minds at work. The mixing bowl I was getting ready to make bread in has become an astronaut helmet.

5. Then said bowl becomes a drum.

6. Finally I say, "EAT"!!! Two chastised looking boys take a few nibbles and then ask for chocolate milk. I get the chocolate milk while they chew a few more bites.

7. I remind them that they want to play with their new train table before it is time for school, and they hurry up and eat (most) of their food. About this time, I turn around to get the chocolate milk out of the microwave(because it must be warm!) and they blurt "scuzemethanksmom" and bolt...leaving the milk on the counter.

SO, the next time we are a little late getting somewhere in the morning, remember this, and you won't wonder why! :-) Side note: I in no way want to rush them through their childhood. I do realize that these times that are sometimes a bit difficult now will someday be my best memories. It is, however quite funny to step back and look at the silliness that goes on around here at times!

Amazing deal on Photocards!

I just got a really amazing deal on our family's holiday photocards, and I thought it was too good not to share! I got 30 cards for $3.48! SO, if anyone is interested, read on. If not, ignore this post! Here's how to get your cards for next to nothing:
1. Visit kodakgallery.com and create a photo card.
2. You must put at least 3 sets of cards in your shopping cart (10 in a set, usually) That comes to around $27.00.
3. At checkout when it asks for promotion codes, type in tryus3 . Click on validate.
4. Type in code 20freecards . Click on validate.
5. Proceed as usual.

You now have a huge discount on your cards! You do still have to pay for shipping, which was around $4 for me. Or, you can choose to pick up locally at a CVS or Target for free. :-)

Have Fun!!

ETA: These codes do NOT work on Martha Stewert designs!!!

Kendan is 8 Weeks Old!

My sweet little baby is no longer a newborn, but a cuddly bundle who can coo, smile, and reach for his toys. He's still not very good at eye hand coordination, but he usually succeeds in getting a hold of whatever it is he is grabbing at. He loves his big brothers, and they are both able to bring a gummy grin to his face by babbling silly baby talk at him. Of course, it melts our hearts to see him give one of what we call his "whole body smiles". He lights up- his mouth opens wide in a grin, his eyes crinkle up (alot like Ken's!), he waves his little fists furiously and his legs get going like a little windmill . I had forgotten some of these little milestones in a tiny baby's development, and it's amazing all over again. We can't help but wonder who he will be as he continues to grow and change. I'm just beginning to see his little personality emerge. As distinctly different as his two older brothers are, I know he will be an individual as well. Anyways, I am enjoying the "ride".

Mantequilla

We have been doing a unit study on Thanksgiving. So, we spent a couple of days learning about the customs of the early american settlers vs. our modern day conveniences. To illustrate the difference, our little "pilgrim" boy got to make butter in jar.

First you pour the cream in a jar, screw the lid on and start shaking...this is kinda' fun, right?

Then you KEEP shaking...and shaking...and shaking...til you almost fall over. :-)

You shake for a looong time, and you end up with something like this...There's real butter in there!

Drain off the milk, put it on a plate...
...and enjoy your hard work on a slice of homemade bread. All that work for boring ol' butter?? Yup. Aren't you glad yours comes in neatly wrapped quarters from the local supermarket?

Counting Down, Hunter style

When there is something to be counted down, Hunty is more than willing to do it for us. Regardless of if it is the oven timer, the microwave, or time to go somewhere, he loudly chants "10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1....COMMISION!!" I can only assume this is Hunter-speak for "ignition" and that he is "blasting off" in his rocket to some great place in childhood imagination.

A Picture is worth a thousand words...

I am completely outnumbered!! These silly guys sure do keep me busy! The older 2 kiddos are really good with Kendan, and love to help me out if he cries. Bradyn will run and get the binky and Hunter will either try to rock his bouncer or hide and plug his ears. :-)Anyways, just wanted to show you this pic...of our not very calm bedtime routine.

Bradyn's Birthday Party

Our little boy is growing up so quickly. He's not 6 for another couple of weeks, but we had his birthday party this past weekend. Since Bradyn's birthday is the day before Thanksgiving, we didn't think anyone would be around to celebrate on the actual day and so we went ahead and had a little party a bit early. He decided to have a "pirate party" and wanted to hunt for treasure. We did the best we could with limited space due to some pretty chilly weather. It was alot of fun for me, and I think the kids had fun as well. I racked my brain for weeks trying to come up with some pirate-like games, and finally settled on a few. Actually, my favorite idea came from my aunt 2 days before party time. It was refrigerator box "boats" and a cannonball fight. We also did the traditional pin the tail on the donkey type game with a map and treasure chest. That went well until Ken realized they were peeking under the blindfold. :-) The kids dug for plastic jewels in sand, "walked the plank", made a pirate hat and sword, and hit a pinata. It's always amazing to me how so much work boils down to something that is over so quickly. All said and done, it was all worth it when Bradyn said "This is the best party in 5 years, mama!"He had missed out on the whole part experience too often because of Thanksgiving, so I really wanted this to be special for him. Thanks to all of you who helped make his day happen! :-)

Just a little note...

It's 1:10 am. I am holding my tiny baby. I should be sleeping, and instead I am just enjoying the feel of his little head resting on my chest. I just love the smell of baby shampoo in his hair, his tiny fingers, his sweet soft cheeks, his fuzzy duckling hair, and the tiny little mewing sounds he makes while he sleeps. :-) Now, we know all new mamas need their sleep, but these precious little moments fly by so soon...and this time around I am taking the time to appreciate the little moments. I want to remember this.

All Together Now...

This past weekend we had the privelage of enjoying my whole(immediate only) family for a couple of days. It was great, because we haven't all been together since Ryan left for boot camp last winter, and won't be again until some unknown time in the future after he gets back from his tour of duty in Iraq at least 8 months from now. It could be longer, but we never know for sure. Mom and Dad, Ryan, and Josh came out late Friday night, followed in a few hours by Matt & Melissa. They all crowded in and we tried to catch up as much as possible in 2 days. We got to hear some of Ryan's experiences, although I think he could write a book on what he has seen and done thus far overseas. Amidst the fun, we had an early Thanksgiving dinner and took some family photos. They turned out pretty great for 2 inexperienced ladies, 2 new cameras, and a tripod as photographers. I don't have time to type a whole lot right now (imagine that!) but I did want to share some of our pics with you. Here ya go! (Please pardon my still chubby self , as these pics are worth being in even if I am still only 3 weeks pp!)

Just some more pics...

Introducing Kendan Ross Lehman!

Kendan Ross Lehman was born on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008 at 6:20 am. He weighed in at 7 lb 12 oz and is 20 inches long. He has a ton of soft black hair, with a blond patch on the right front side. He was 2 weeks and 1 day past my latest due date, so we were extra glad to see him make his appearance!

Labor was interesting...my midwife broke my water on Wednesday and thought we should have a baby within hours. Baby thought otherwise and decided to stay in my belly for a few more days...with only a few random contractions for those days. Since the norm for delivery after breaking the water is 24 hours, we started some cohosh(herbs) on Thursday night to see if we could get things moving. That didn't do too much either, but I did finally start having contractions Friday evening at dinner time. They were 10 minutes apart, 5 minutes apart, then slowed to 30 min and then an hour...so we thought it was a false alarm and went to bed around 2 am. I got up at 4:45 am and was shocked to have really strong contractions only 1 minute apart. It felt like it was time to have this baby, and the midwife wasn't even on her way yet! So, Ken called her and she got to our house around 5:15. I went ahead and got in the jacuzzi tub and labored there (the BEST pain relief ever) for the rest of the time. At 6:20 am Kendan Ross was waterbirthed into his mama's waiting arms! It was wonderful to have our baby come into the world at home, surrounded by the people who love him the most. Bradyn and my mom came upstairs to see him as soon as he was born, and Bradyn was a bit overwhelmed and went back to sleep. Hunter didn't want to wake up at all. Both boys have since decided that he is pretty cool after all and like to pat his head and tell me "the baby needs you" if he utters even a tiny peep. We are adjusting, and trying to get on a sleep routine...and loving every minute of having a tiny baby around the house again! We are all very much in love!

Josh is a Senior!

My youngest brother, Joshua, spent a few days with us this summer and I convinced him to let me practice my photography "skills" on him. I learned alot about my new camera, and we came up with a few nice pics. He was very patient and cooperative with his annoying sister!

The Gator...

This is the old, but new again, entertainment at our house lately. Ken brought this little machine home last summer for Bradyn and Hunter to play in as a surprise while they were at grandma's for a week. It was great fun for them then, but spent the better part of the summer in the garage due to a broken gear. I guess they don't make toy parts out of very strong stuff, but Ken decided to take it apart and have a look. Now, knowing Ken, you know he can fix just about anything that can go wrong with a mechanical part. So, a few screws and lots of Daddy grunting and muttering later, the gator is in working order again. It's once again their favorite toy, and Hunter is able reach the pedals this year. He even does a pretty decent job of shifting gears...if only he could get the steering down! It's a bit nerve wracking to watch him tear off around the house or down the sidewalk because he almost always waves at me and keeps waving until he almost hits a tree...or a fence...or my flowerbed...but he is SO proud of himself for being a "big boy" and I don't think he can cause any real damage. I never knew watching my kids enjoy their childhood would be so much fun. :-)

No, I have not had my baby!

Ok, so it's been awhile since I posted ANYTHING on here. Sorry about that. Life has been busy, as you would expect with two little ones adjusting to a schedule of homeschooling and a very pregnant mama trying hard to keep up with all that needs done. I just had to put this in writing so that everyone knows...YES, I AM STILL PREGNANT! :-)

As we were taking a walk around the neighborhood last evening, chasing the kids as they drove their John Deere gator around the sidewalk in high gear, and waddling full tilt ahead, my neighbors kept asking about the status of my pregnancy. The most common phrase was "Haven't you had that baby, yet?". Also popular has been "Are you STILL pregnant?". However tempting it may be to respond with "No, I had the baby, the huge bump under my shirt is a watermelon", I resisited and we kept on walking and smiling. But then, I realized that there are probably alot of my family members and friends who are actually wondering if I am, in fact, still rotund. So, yes, I am. I am officially over a week past my latest due date. This little one is quite comfortable in there, and all of his test results say is he is doing just fine. We are planning to let him stay there for +/- another week or so before trying any medical intervention, as long as he continues to do well on his non-stress tests. Hopefully, he will just decide to arrive before then, and we will have some happy news to post. It will be nice to finally have our little one in our arms, and to be able to sleep on my stomach again! :-)

Happy 3rd Birthday, Hunter!

I can't believe our little guy is 3 years old already! The time does fly! His actual birthday was yesterday, the 18th, but he had a little birthday party tonight and I will try to post some pics of that tomorrow. Lots of little kids running around, and lots of noise = lots of fun for both of our little guys! Tomorrow morning we are planning to go "bunny rabbit" shopping for his birthday gift...he says he will name it "three". :-) He is such a sweet natured little fella', always full of hugs and kisses for us, and with a smile to brighten the day. I am trying to remember every moment, even the mischevious ones, and store them away for the days when he doesn't come so easily to my lap. But for now, I love to hear him say " hold me, momma" and " I lub you"! If ony there were a way to save the feeling of little arms around your neck...

Deployed

Well, it is official. My brother Ryan is deployed. He is currently in Kuwait awaiting a move on into Iraq that should take place in the next couple of weeks. The flight over was a long one, about 20 hours plus stop over time in Germany. He was able to call home and talk to my parents after he arrived, but the phone lines went out, and the internet is not much better. He paid by the hour for the internet service...which is slower than dial up here, so be thankful for your cable and dsl...and was able to tell mom and my brother Josh that he is already experiencing sandstorms and high temps. He seems to be positive about the whole experience, and eager to do something to help the war effort. I, on the other hand, am rather worried about him even being over there, much less fighting. I am proud of him for wanting to give what he can to help protect the rest of us, but it is hard to watch him do it, especially knowing that it is not easy for him. His tour of duty in Iraq is 15 months long, approximately. It seems that the army doesn't tell you much before you get your orders, and then only what you need to know at the moment, so we won't know alot until we hear from him. I will try to keep my blog updated on his progress as we get word. As of now, we don't have an address for him, but in a couple weeks, we should. If anyone wants to send him mail I will be glad to give you his address as soon as I know it. You can email me and I will give it to you. Having someone in my family serve overseas definately makes me see things that I have never seen before. The sacrifices of our soldiers and their families...every one that reports for duty...not just the heroes that we read about, but the quiet heroes who do their job and are willing to give up the control of their own lives for a cause. Every day is a new sacrifice, for the soldier who sleeps on a cot in the desert, and the mothers and fathers, husbands, and wives who do their best to carry on while they wait for their soldier to come home. It isn't easy, and so many of us don't even think about it. Ryan said that means the armed forces are doing their job, if the citizens of this country don't have to worry as they go about their day to day lives...but it would be nice to show some appreciation when we get the chance. Thankyou, soldiers.

Summer Flowers

I have been playing around with some photos of flowers...and sneezing as I take pics. They are around for such a short time and it takes so much work to keep them looking nice, that I thought I would snap a few pics to keep them around a bit longer. I just ordered a new digital SLR, and I am super excited to start taking pics with it as soon as possible. I'm hoping that I can master lighting and exposure times with a little effort. Any of you who have experience in that area(Julie, Amy, anyone else??), feel free to help me along with advice!

McKenna

This is a little girl with whom Bradyn seems to get along almost perfectly. Every time he sees her he tells me she is his best friend, and he reserves that title for her 90% of the time. They are only around 2 months different in age, and have been little buddies ever since they were tiny. I know we all have a friend or two in childhood that we remember as vividly as if it were yesterday...good foundations for a growing child. I'm thankful that Bradyn chose a friend that I feel comfortable having him spend time with. I know that she will be a positive influence on him, and I never have to worry about what kind of things he will learn and bring home when he is with her. I think a large part of that is because she has wonderful parents who spend time patiently teaching her...and it shows. :-) Now that both our family and her family is planning to move in the near future, we are starting to wonder what will happen to this little friendship. They seem to enjoy writing letters to each other now, so maybe they will be "penpals".

Happy Birthday to Ken!

Well, his birthday was in May, but I am just getting around to posting the pics. :-) We "kidnapped" him and took him to Brown Co. State Park where we rented a cabin, had some great campfires, pony rides, and a nice long hike. Ok, so the hike was nice for awhile but then I got wimpy(blame it on the belly, right?), and Ken ended up carrying the youngest critter because "hold me, hold me daddy" is just irresistable! The last mile felt like 10, but it was beautiful in the woods and there were plenty of little streams to splash in. We had a great time, and some really nice sunny weather to go with it.

Eagle Creek Park

We spent the morning at Eagle Creek park, a state park not far from where we live. Of course, I took my camera, and tried to catch some good grins...as the boys wandered through the woods and around the pond. Bradyn was less than impressed with the pond this time of year as it was covered in algae and pollen from the trees, and he told me "Mom, this is not a pond. It is a SWAMP!" It didn't look too inviting, that's for sure. Here are our critters trying to sit still long enough for me to capture them on film. That's hard to do when you are a little boy, ya' know!