I Finally Did It!!

So, if you have been to my house in oh the past year, you know how lovely my kitchen table is. OK, how lovely the chairs are. We have slowly been throwing them away, where we are now to the point of mostly using folding chairs, which I swore I would never do. I guess I am cheap, or scared of spending money, but when our tax return came this year we decided it was time to buy a new table and chairs. I looked everywhere. I found the one I liked almost a month ago, but I just couldn't bring myself to go in and pay for it. Seriously, what if something else came up. But, today I went in, wrote the check, and now am axiously awaiting my new table and chairs to arrive next week. I thought I wouldn't be getting it last week when the water heater broke, but luckily that was a cheap fix. So before anything else went wrong, I spent the money. So watch out soon for my a picture of our new addition to our family. It has been a long time coming, and I can't wait to have chairs that no longer allow you to sink to the ground - what will that be like??

Construction Widow

I have been teasing Chad lately that I am a construction widow. With the new baby coming it was time to finish a room in the basement for Claire. That meant that we had to finish the whole hallway, close off the laundry room, put in new lighting and put in a new outside door that will lock. It has been a slow process. On top of doing all of that, he has been helping our neighbor fix their bathroom that flooded. He is having a ball, and loves having projects to do. Obviously Owen thinks it's great too, and will often be found downstairs helping in some way. I'm just grateful that I have a husband who can do all of this, and I don't have to hire anyone else.

Happy Birthday Chad!

Chad's birthday was the Friday of Spring Break, so the kids and I came home a day early to celebrate with him. My parents were kind enough to give us some of their Marriott points which my dad earns by the thousands each week, so I could surprise Chad with a night away. We dropped the kids off at his parents house, and then went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse (his favorite!), and then spent the night in Idaho Falls. I know it's not far from our house, but it is still a break. The next day he was gracious enough to go shopping with me, and get him some much needed new shoes, and a few other things. We celebrated with the kids on Sunday night where we made his favorite strawberry poke cake, and sang to him. The kids loved blowing out the candles, so Chad would keep lighting them so they could all have a turn. Grant thought it was a lot of fun, but Owen actually kept blowing out his candles. Happy 35th Birthday Chad - we love you!!

Spring Break

We spent our Spring Break visiting Grandma and Grandpa Farmer. I figured this might be our last trip for awhile with the baby coming. I'm not sure that I want to make the trip alone with 4 children, but I might change my mind this summer. The kids were so excited to get there. We left on Friday and stayed the night at our friends the Turgooses house. The next day I was going to meet my parents in Nampa to go and see Amber's all-state choir concert. As I was getting everything pulled together, my mom called and informed me that they had hit a turkey on the way down and had broken their windshield, so they weren't going to make it. Let me tell you the thought of going by myself with 3 kids just didn't sound appealing, but I had no choice. Someone had to bring Amber home. So, off we went, and with a few bribes, the kids were actually quite good. The best part was that I accidentally spilled Grant's M&M's all over the floor, and since we were sitting in the very back, and it was a concert hall with a sloped floor, well the M&M's went sliding down. I'm sure the school just loved me a ton!

We finally made it to Grandma and Grandpa's and were glad to see that they had recovered from the turkey incident. The kids had a great time all week playing with their cousins, playing outside, and of course going on our 3 or 4 four wheeler rides a day. I have never been so grateful for my dad's Big Red, which is a four wheeler, but really more like a golf cart. I don't think my body could have handled that many 4-wheeler rides a day! Grant absolutely loved being outside and seeing the cows, chickens, horses, and anything else he could find. I would often find him looking out the front widow at some animal.Claire and Owen loved playing with their cousins, and being outside. I wish we lived in a place where they could just be outside all the time! All the kids were great, and I couldn't have asked for a better trip. Plus to top it all off, my mom surprised me with a much needed pedicure because it is very hard for me to reach my own toes! Thanks for the fun time Grandma and Grandpa, hopefully we will be able to visit again soon!

Happy 6th Birthday Claire!

I can hardly believe that my little girl is 6. Time sure does fly by. She was very excited this year because she got to spend her birthday at her Grandma and Grandpa Farmer's house with her cousin Brittany. Those two girls absolutely love having one another around. I decided to make a rainbow cake, which was a little above my talent level, so I was glad that my mom was there to help out. I cooked 6 different layers and they were each a different color. It actually turned out great, and you can't tell that it is very lopsided from the picture! :-) Claire got some very practical gifts that will be great for her new room. I gave her a new lamp, Owen and Grant gave her an alarm clock, and her dad gave her a new bike helmet. She also got some clothes from Aunt Amber, new sheets and a comforter from Grandma and Grandpa, and then of course the people who made her the most happy from Uncle Roy and Aunt Cody and Uncle J.R. some toys.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Owen had learned all about how tricky leprechauns were in preschool, so I thought it would be fun to turn our breakfast green. It was actually quite funny, and really didn't look that bad. However, Claire did not think that it was funny. The girl is seriously scared of everything, so she worried all day before school that a leprechaun was going to get her. She refused to eat the green breakfast, and thought the milk was disgusting. So, I stopped after breakfast turning everything green, even though Owen thought it was a lot of fun. Maybe next year Claire will let us have a little more fun.

18 Months

I can hardly believe that my little guy is 18 months. Time sure does go by quickly. Luckily he has been pretty healthy and happy. He finally decided about a month ago that he should give walking a try. He is still a little wobblie, and will often be found crawling, but it is better than not trying at all. He does love the fact that he can keep up a little more with his siblings. However whenever we go outside, he insists on holding my hand the whole time. That can drive you crazy!!!

He weighs 22 pounds, and is starting to fit into 18 month clothes. It is so much easier to dress a boy because the shirts can be big, so luckily he is starting to be on the same season as Owen was. That is going to save me a ton of money!!

He adores his dad, and can't wait for him to come home. He loves to help him start the fire. He is a great little helper and will clean up anything you ask. I really think he just likes to put things into boxes or bins, but I like to think that he is helping.

He has started to learn how to defend himself around his brother and sister, and can often be heard yelling at them (in his own special way). He especially gets mad when they are sitting with me, and he thinks it is his own special lap. Isn't that going to be fun when the baby comes. He hates nursery, but hopefully soon will find it the greatest place on earth.

We are so grateful to have Grant in our family, and couldn't imagine a day without him. We are truly blessed!