SURPRISE!!!

I'm sure some of you have wondered or maybe my skills at deception have been perfected... YES, I'm pregnant!
I had just finished nursing Michael in February and I just wasn't feeling right. I figured a year and a half of strictly nursing had made my body forget how to function so I gave it a couple of months. Even after those months past by, I was still SO tired, shaky and dizzy all of the time. I figured it was time to go see the doctor in April. I decided to see my OB first to get my girly stuff checked out then if he didn't see anything wrong, go see a regular doctor. He did all sorts of blood work, tests and questions. He left for a minute then came back in laughing. He said that what I have is nothing that wouldn't cure itself within 9 months! AHHH! Not prepared for that one!!! I called Cody and he had a similar reaction... how do you get pregnant when you haven't had a period in over two years? I have NO idea? The ultrasound confirmed it, I was 10 weeks pregnant!
I've let a few more months go by, just to be on the safe side. Then I thought it would be super fun to surprise everyone with the gender of the baby as well... Yesterday was the big day and I could hardly sleep waiting for morning to come. My appointment was at 9:15 but we got there at 9. Me and all my boys crowded this tiny room. The Doctor said he had some news - Good news is he didn't see any 'telephone poles' and with all the kicking it was doing, he's sure he would've seen something. The bad news is he wasn't seeing those 'two little lines'. The baby was breach so even with me poking my belly and the doctor searching, it was super hard to see anything in between it's modest little legs. Finally he spotted what he thought were those two lines! He said he can't give us 100%, but he's 90% sure we're having a girl! A GIRL!!! That's all I need to hear... I don't think Cody or I have stopped smiling since then. We have gone shopping and found some cute PINK outfits and tiny little ballet shoes! SO MUCH FUN!
Even if when I go back in a month the doctor changes his mind and tells me it's a boy, I will still be super excited for my 4th boy and cherish that month I had shopping and thinking I had my long awaited girl! But I'll hope that doesn't happen :)
Surprise everyone!!!

Easter!

Is anyone else as proud of me as I am that I'm posting this the day after the holiday?!?! Okay, I'll be honest... my memory card was full so I HAD to download the pictures :)

The boys finding their baskets Easter morning.

The Easter egg hunt at our house after church.

The Scavenger hunt at Gramommas.

Michael and Caden

Caden & Trey getting on their Power Wheels
to find their Easter Treasure.

Trey, Bella, Crew, Caden and Michael
Cute kids were blinded by the beautiful day!

Afterwards, we went to my parents house where so much is going on with Grandparents, 10 kids and 16 grandkids that I often forget to pull out my camera... and this happens to be one of those times (which makes me SO upset at myself!). We had so much fun celebrating this Holiday with Family and are so thankful for this time we have with them and also forever after because of Christ and his ultimate gift to us. Happy Easter!

Ah-Ha!

My cute friend read that I couldn't find any pictures of Cody and I together so she went through all of her pictures and found one that she had taken a year and a half ago at Cody's work Party! (... In my defense, this was taken only 2 months after I had Michael.) I don't think I've seen a picture of us together since our wedding pictures :) Thank you so much Selina!

Mothers

 I got an e-mail from my brother, which is weird enough
as it is (love ya Bri!), but the most crazy thing about
this email is that I was practically sobbing by the
time I reached the end (I hardly ever cry... that is,
until I became a Mommy!).  The story is cute, but it
was the ending that got me.  Most of the sections don't
even apply to me yet but it makes me very emotional just
thinking about it. I have 3 very busy boys.
My first baby is now in kindergarten and the other two
are trying too hard to catch up to him.  Life goes by
so fast and I'm trying not to be one of those "I wish..."
people.  I love them more than I can say
and although on certain days won't admit it, I
absolutely LOVE being a Mother.  I LOVE my Mom and am
so grateful for all that she has done for me in raising
me in the gospel.  I hope I can do the same for my
children.  I love my Mother-in-law and am constantly
in awe of all she can do.  I also want to thank all the
other Mothers out there who help me and my children so
much - you all know who you are!
I am SO blessed... and that is why I'm sobbing!
Here it is and I'm sorry if it affects you as it did me!

"Somebody" said it takes about 6 weeks to get back
to normal after you've had a baby....
"somebody" doesn't know that once you're a mother,
'normal' is history.
* * *
"Somebody" said you learn how to be a mother by
instinct...
"somebody" never took a three-year-old shopping.
* * *
"Somebody" said being a mother is boring....
"somebody" never rode in a car driven by a
teenager with a driver's permit.
* * *
"Somebody" said if you're a 'good' mother,
your child will 'turn out good'....
"somebody" thinks a child comes with
directions and a guarantee.
* * *
"Somebody" said you don't need an education
to be a mother....
"somebody" never helped a fourth grader
with his math.
* * *
"Somebody" said you can't love the second child as
much as you love the first....
"somebody" doesn't have two children.
* * *
"Somebody" said the hardest part of being a mother
is labor and delivery....
"somebody" never watched her 'baby' get on the bus
for the first day of  kindergarten ...
or on a plane headed for military 'boot camp.'
* * *
"Somebody" said a mother can stop worrying after her
child gets married....
"somebody" doesn't know that
marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a
mother's heartstrings.
* * *
"Somebody" said a mother's job is done when her last
child leaves home....
"somebody" never had
grandchildren.
* * *
"Somebody" said your mother knows you love her, so
you don't need to tell her....
"somebody" isn't a mother. 

I LOVE games!... Do you?

So, here's how this game works... The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the next couple of months, a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or be lazy and copy and paste like I did). Then come back, let me know you're going to play (comment) and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Remember, only the first three get a gift, so you have to be super fast!

New Old Bathroom

I figured I'd post these pictures since mid-project, I told and showed some of you the mess I was in!
Our master bath got a crack in it a few years ago. It's just fiberglass but it was a soaking tub so of course it's more expensive to replace. We tried fixing it and that worked for a minute but after it cracked again, we took over the boy's bathroom and had to walk down the hall to shower. (It proved how spoiled we are cause it was so annoying to us!) After watching many designer shows, I decided I could totally remodel our bathroom! I ripped out the tile (which if anyone else has done this, it's not 'ripping' but more like banging, back breaking, ear peircing work). It is in the corner of our house and closed all doors but the tile, grout and cement dust got everywhere. We took out the tub entirely since we've used it maybe three times in the last 7 years that we've lived here, also figuring we have two other baths if we feel so inclined. Taking the tub out showed that the builders didn't support the tub correctly which is why it cracked.
After going to Home Depot to buy the tile and get some advice, I decided I was way over my head. Instead we got some bids. The person that came in the lowest was the same person that tiled our basement and he did such a good job that we weren't concerned in the least. I told him what I wanted, picked out the tile, he gave some suggestions and then went to work. His work is amazing as you can see! We can actually use our shower for the first time in years! It has a built in shelf and shower seat and everything is tiled with beautiful details. If anyone needs tile work done, I have his name and number for you :)

Christmas!

I know I'm horrible at posting things remotely close to when they actually happened and I apologize! I hope these cute pictures make up for the fact they are so late!

This year I finally made Christmas Cookies with the boys! Trey thought he was so sneaky and ate the frosting and sprinkles the entire time. Michael had fun crushing up his cookies then throwing them on the ground. Caden and I stayed until the bitter end making sure all the cookies were perfectly decorated!
We are such a good team!

Here are our edible masterpieces! The were so yummy!

The boys in their Christmas PJs! Caden got Army Men ones, Trey got Iron Man ones and Michael got Spiderman ones.
Awww, they look so cute!

Our Christmas Tree after Santa came.
We were REALLY good this year!

Opening Christmas presents at our house!

The boys got their own Laptops! Caden's is a Cyber Spy and Trey's is Little Einsteins. They were so excited to have one's like ours!

They could hardly wait to play their laptops! We got their cousin Crew a spiderman computer so they all had to show each other, even though none of them were paying attention to anything but their own. Funny Kids!

These are our little Clone Trooper Bobble Heads!!! Aren't they adorable?!? Cody's Mom and Dad got these for the boys and obviously they were an instant hit! Thanks Bruce and Billie, the boys have been asking for these for months!

Michael got the cutest little Airplane and penguin set but he was far more interested in his most favorite food in the world... Pringles! He gets the biggest smile on his face when he sees the can, then once you open it, he reaches in and grabs a handful then shoves them in his mouth! I hope I never forget how cute it is when the can is almost empty, his arm is the perfect length - it's up to his armpit so he can get his precious last chip!

I know this picture is hard to see but I had to post it anyway. This is at my Mom and Dad's house. Caden got a Mars Mission Lego set, Trey got a Mac and Lightening Cars block set and Michael got a Sock Monkey made by my Mom. You couldn't have picked more perfect gifts for each of them, thank you!

It seems like Christmas flies by faster each year. I enjoyed every second of my boys' joy and excitement over seeing family and of course their presents! I am so thankful for this time we have to celebrate our Savior's birth with friends and family!
Merry Christmas :)