Hummer fun

This will probably be the closest they ever get to hummer. The kids loved it. Seatbelts would have been a little helpful, but Carolina is a real trooper and didn't mind nearly being thrown out with Tim's quick starts and stops. It had been almost a year since we had been to visit Ben's aunt and uncle and the hummer was really the only thing that Tim was sure he remembered.

Carolina Beach

The kids loved the beach. Mostly just digging in the sand because it was a little on the chilly side that day. Tim thought it was cool that it's called "Carolina Beach," but he says next time we need to go to "Timmy Beach."

Tractor Museum

The museum has been closed for some time now due to the owner's death, but you can still roam around it and check out all the rusty tractors. The kids got a kick out of it.

Mt Olive pickles

We've been back from NC for a week and I thought I'd finally share some pics. We really had a great time and it was so nice to have Ben to ourselves all week. We were able to visit several low-key, but fun places with the kids, including our trip to the Mt. Olive pickle store. Timmy loves pickles and will readily tell you that they "taste like candy." The first picture shows them on the corner of Cucumber and Vine.

Real life (tagged)

Okay, here you get a glimpse of behind-the-scenes thanks to being tagged by Deon. I guess the rules are: no cleaning, clearing, wiping, changing, etc.

1. THE LAUNDRY ROOM - really not too exciting. Ben really stays more on top of laundry than I do. Not folding it, but getting it washed and dried. He's a huge help, but he's basically been working non-stop since Friday evening, so we've gotten a little behind.

2. FAVORITE ROOM: I had a hard time coming up with a favorite room. There are so many updates and decorating things that I want to do all over the house. I just hung curtain rods and curtains (kinda wrinkly, don't look too close) in my bedroom a few days ago, so I'm a little happier there and it feels a little more relaxing and homey. Plus, after being sick for two weeks, it's nice to finally be able to lie down and sleep without feeling yuck. There is a remodeling book on the bed. Lots of stuff in the works!

3. WHAT ARE THE KIDS DOING? I took all of these pictures around dinner time last night. Tim is eating a bowl of goldfish that he served himself. No wonder he didn't eat much of his chicken quesadilla! I've been trying to do less snacks before meals, obviously not yesterday.

Carolina is my little mess maker. She had a late lunch and was asking for frosted mini-wheats (or the malt-o-meal equivalent) after her cheese and grapes. I discovered she was just eating the frosting and tossing the rest.

4. FAVORITE SHOES - These were pretty inexpensive from Baker's several years ago and I wish I could find another pair. I've just always liked them. Unfortunately, I've had to take them to a shoe repair shop at least once or twice. I don't wear them very often because I'm afraid they will break again.

5. TOILET - Okay, so this isn't a toilet. I really didn't pay close attention when I was taking pictures. This is our 1/2 bath under renovations. I should have some real before/after pictures when we get it all done. Painting, new sink, mirror, light fixture and flooring.

6. SINK - Ben did the dishes the night before. He does great, but does not do pots and pans. He figures I'm better and faster at the hand-washing (he's right). Those are our ice cream bowls in there.

7. FRIDGE - Maybe I should organize this and clean it off a little?

8. SELF PORTRAIT - So this happened over the weekend -- I'm finally showing like a real pregnant person should! I'm nearly 26 weeks and have just started wearing maternity clothes more often that not. I'm sure some of you moms might think I'm weird, but it totally makes me happy! That awkward in-between stage lasted way too long.

9. CLOSET - There is a reason why I keep the door shut! (And I can't even wear any of these clothes until probably close to the end of the year)

10. DREAM VACATION: Maybe someplace without any kids? :)

I'm tagging: Lindsay, Jennifer, and Hilary!

What I've been up to...(Part 4 of 4)

• Mother's Day: Ben and Timmy picked out some beautiful roses online and had them delivered to me the Friday before.  That was so sweet!!  On Mother's Day, Ben declared it "Mama's Day" and I wasn't allowed to cook or anything.  Tim thought it should be "Timmy Day."  Even at our lunch time prayer, he said "Thank you that it is Timmy Day."  What a goof!

• Fabric Row in Philadelphia.  Check out my sister's blog for how it went.  I really enjoyed spending time with my grandma, mom and sis.  It was super that Ben was so willing to watch the kids all day.


• Stake Relief Society service project: We are making quilts with flags on them for the servicemen and women recovering at Walter Reed Hospital.  I volunteered to piece a top (already cut out) before the Saturday activity.  Then on Saturday, I volunteered to bring one home to finish.  It only took me two weeks to finish it!

• We welcomed little Emma Grace home!  My niece finally came home from the hospital after being there nearly six months.  She was born premature at 25 weeks and only 1 pound, 10 ounces.  I think that I will forever be amazed that something so tiny actually can survive with help from modern medicine and, of course, Heavenly Father.  Tim declared that Emma was home finally because of all the prayers he said for her.  He rarely let a prayer slip by without remembering and reminding us if we forgot.  She is about 7 pounds in the picture.

• A recent Ikea trip: We had not been in a couple years and this was the first time we could drop Tim off at the play area.  He had fun and we could zoom through a lot faster.  I really enjoy roaming the maze they have looking at all the fun rooms, etc., but we rarely buy anything.  The designs are cool, but, to me, the quality is questionable.  We have a dresser from there bought when Tim was born that is broken in two places now.  If we had never moved it, it would be just fine.  I guess it's been moved four times now.  It's not real wood, of course.  This trip we bought two pieces of furniture: a small bookcase for Carolina's room and a long table for our front hall.  I had been dying for these types of pieces for a long time.  And I love them!  Carolina now can pick out her own books to read.
  
  Before & After:

Hall table:

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What I've been up to...(Part 3 of 4)

So, I figure I got four hours of sleep last night -- two at the beginning and two at the end. Could have been worse.  We even made it to church.  It seemed like I was the only one feeling sick, so I thought I could just tough it out.  Turns out, Tim is sick too.  When we got home he went straight to bed without lunch and has had a fever all afternoon and evening.  To tell you the truth, it's kind of nice because he was very chill all evening and wanted to just lie around watching movies.  We watched Mr. Magorium's Magic Emporium and Cars (for the fiftieth time).

• The kids and I go to yard sales every available Saturday morning.  We just stick as close to town as we can and usually come up with a few good finds.  I got a mint-condition umbrella stroller for $2 last week and found a bunch of 18-month girl clothes for $.25/a piece.  Who can beat that?  It's recycling at its best.


• Lots of rain, but lots of good days too.  Spring has definitely not disappointed.  I planted a bleeding heart and some impatiens in the front flower bed.  It makes me so happy every time I see them.  The hostas plants and lonely tulip are from the previous owners.  I plan to plant more tulips in the fall and thin out the hostas a little (they are bigger now), I think.

• Television programs: I just finished my first season of American Idol.  I didn't get to watch some episodes, but it was pretty fun.  I really steer clear of television these days because there is so much yuck.  But, American Idol is really pretty wholesome compared to everything else.  I also watch public television and finished watching the three-part series Cranford.  For anyone that's read Glenn Beck's latest book, this is definitely a "bonnet movie."  I really, really enjoyed it.  For a limited time, you can watch the series online. 


• Family home evening.  Recently, we talked about prayer with some visual aids and then found a rock in the backyard to paint.  Tim now has his very own "prayer rock."  Afterwards, we had ice cream cones in the backyard.  Carolina likes to eat hers from both ends. 

• Madama Butterfly.  Ben got free tickets to a final rehearsal from a young woman at work.  I loved it!  It is a really wonderful and beautiful opera and definitely a tragedy.  I seriously cried.  I think having a three-year old boy, like the main character does at the end, makes it even more touching. 
  

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What I've been up to...(Part 2 of 4)

Okay, here's the second installment.  I'm up at 3 in the morning (been up for hours) with a head cold.  I rarely get sick and I'm just not so good at managing it.  I really want to make it to church in the morning.  The kids aren't feeling so good either (one of them woke me up), so the whole deal is kind of iffy, especially with Ben working.

• Reading: I really love reading good, clean fiction.  Right now, I've just started So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger.  I finished his first book Peace Like a River last month and loved it. I liked Circle of Friends also.  I've recently read some books that I didn't like quite as much: The Measure of a Lady, I Capture the Castle, Crocodile on the Sandbank, and The Quilter's Apprentice.  Anyone have any recommendations? 


• We go to the playground every day in good weather.  It's really nice having it super close.  The kids also love the backyard. Here we are with some friends I was watching.  I was putting the bigger boys to work!

• Little trips all by myself -- I decided I really needed to make time for just me.  I've gone to a nearby antiques mall (my kind of mall), some yard sales, fabric store, yarn store, and more.  I'm trying to come up with other stuff that doesn't involve shopping.  I consider myself a fairly disciplined shopper and sometimes come up completely empty-handed or maybe just a few dollars spent.  When Ben starts a more predictable schedule someday, I will plan on taking classes and volunteering. 


• We've been going to the library every week pretty much since we moved here.  Sometimes more frequently.  Sometimes we make it to storytime.  With Carolina shifting to one nap a day, that will happen more and more.  We check out lots of books and movies for the kids and for the grown-ups, I get home improvement books, knitting books, fiction, and magazines.  I rely heavily on the library website and order things from within our county system and on interlibrary-loan through the state.  It is so super and I'm sure saves us money.  Don't tell the librarian, but we have 60 books checked out right now.  No worries though, I keep careful track of it all and we've paid less than $2 in fines since last August. 


• Sheep & Wool Festival 2008: We've made it an annual trip for five years now.  Lots and lots of yarn, enormous crowds of people, some sheep, alpacas, llamas and a sheep-dog demonstration.  It's really kind of fun.  I found some nice wool for pretty cheap.  It will someday turn into a sweater or maybe just gloves, mittens, hats, etc.

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What I've been up to...(Part 1 of 4)

Here's what I've been up to this past month:

• Thinking about blog entries, but never actually typing or posting a darn thing

• Writing in my journal every night. As my high school and college friends might remember, I used to do this. Lately, it's been months between entries and I keep feeling like I'm missing something. People write in journals for lots of reasons. I think I do for two: 1) to get all the thoughts in my head on paper and help me think more clearly and 2) because I have a very, very lousy memory. No joke -- when I go back and read stuff about my own life that I wrote with my own hand, I frequently run across things that bring back no memories whatsoever. It may as well be about someone else. Like, for instance, as a junior in high school, I was invited to the senior prom. What? Really? I had to look the guy up in my yearbook. He was a nice, quiet guy from my calculus class. Why did I say no? It's really kind of unnerving really. I picture my brain with lots of memory filing cabinets and some are just plain stuck shut. Anyway, I don't want to forget these wonderful, busy, crazy days. And I don't want to forget my babies as they are now. They grow so fast, I'm told. :)
  

• Visiting family...that's why we live in Maryland. We would have been better off money-wise to settle down somewhere else, but we love it here!
  

• Tim and I painted a bird feeder. He picked red for the roof, of course. I had to really stand back and bite my tongue at times. He's only 3, but it was so hard to let him just mess it up. Hanging from our tree, you can hardly tell. Speaking of our tree, it turns out it is a lovely dogwood. I never bothered to look up what kind of tree it was and Ben thought maybe he could take it down and plant another variety. I told him, "Let's wait until the spring and see what it does." Sure enough, it was gorgeous! The blooms have dropped now, but they were pretty for a long while.
  

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A Boy!

We're having a boy! I really couldn't decide if I wanted a girl or boy, but Tim sure had a preference. He let us know that he wanted a boy and his name should be Max. It's doubtful that we will name him Max. His second pick right now is "Blue." I'm 19 weeks along, with a due date September 19th. So far, the pregnancy has been easy with no complications. Everything at the ultrasound today shows a healthy boy too. Here's a little picture of him -- weighing approximately 10 ounces.

Easter morning

A little late, but here the two kids are on Easter morning. Ben had to work the night before and didn't get home until we were leaving for church. As he loaded the kids up in the car, I ran in and set the Easter baskets out. We told the kids that the Easter bunny came during church. We might continue that as long as we can because candy before church can't be the best idea.

Carolina did not like sharing the spotlight with her brother at all. This is the best picture of the two of them.

He has since been to see a real barber (instead of his mama) and gotten his hair fixed up right. :)

Catching Up...

This week, I'm going to try to catch up on our fun recent stuff. Timmy's birthday party, Easter, etc. First I have to include our first daffodils. You never know what you're going to get when you buy someone else's house. It seems like it took them longer to grow and bloom than most (I just took the picture yesterday), but we have a pretty shady yard. They are the super-small variety, but I'm happy to see them. I have lots of plans for the front flower bed and hopefully more pictures will come this summer. All that I have done so far is remove some ugly small Christmas tree-shaped shrubs. But more will be done this week.


The theme for Tim's 3rd birthday party was "red" -- it's his favorite color. I'm really not too fond of character themes anyway and I'm holding off as long as I can. I loved that everyone came decked out in red. Really fun -- except when you were trying to spot your child out of all the little ones and kept mixing them up. We had one 8-month old, three 1-yr olds, 4 2-yr olds (if you count Tim because it was nine days before his birthday), and a few older kids. Lots of fun!


Timmy's friend, Nicholas, helped him out at the last second to blow out the candle. Really sweet!