B's first movie...

Well, Ryan was gone again this weekend hunting so on Friday my mom and I took B on a "date"! We went and ate pizza and then went to the movies at Jasper. He wanted to see Madagascar 2. He was such a good boy during the movies! It was his first time going to the theater. I think he really enjoyed it! When we got home we watched a little bit of the Garfield movie on TV and then fell asleep!

Before the movie- he was so excited!

What a big boy!

Saturday we slept in a little bit & then didn't do too much... I was addressing Christmas Cards, trying to do a little at a time, and Brycen said he was going to clean his toy room/Andon's room (serving both purposes at the moment...). I thought that was a grand idea... lol.

This is what B's toy room/Andon's room looked like when he was done...

And then this is what the hall way & B's room liked when he was done...

He was sooo proud of himself and the toy room that I couldn't be mad :)

Ryan came home from the cabin on Saturday night & we did get the toys organized & rearranged B's room. That definitely wore me out! Ryan & Brycen think my belly is so funny & they drew a picture on it for Andon...

Yah, I kind of think it looks like Osama Bin Laden or something... :)

Yesterday afternoon Brycen and I went to Jasper w/ my mom and Grandma. We ate lunch there at Long John Silver's (i really love fish, even there!). And then we went to Home Depot and bought a new garage door opener thingy for our garage door... ours broke and I haven't been able to use the garage (a pain since it's getting cold!). I'm glad to get that bought... now just when my handy husband has time to install it! haha. Hopefully soon! I also got the paint for Andon's room! I hope it looks good when we get it on the walls... After Home Depot we headed to Wal-Mart. We had to get stuff for the stromboli's that I made last night at my parents for supper and a few other things. I went ahead and picked up my tins for my cookies and chocolate covered pretzels and stuff that I always make for neighbors and people at work around Christmas time... I'm seriously trying to get all this holiday shopping done! I did finish up all my shopping last week, except for Ryan & Brycen, and a few gifts I have to get when I go to Evansville for my next dr's appt. Otherwise, I'm done, and so excited about it! When we got home from Jasper B took a nap and I worked on getting the Uppercase Living stuff put on his walls that I had gotten way back when I had my party! They look cute! That's my problem, I'm such a planner, and I plan things way too far out in advance... Anyway, when Brycen got up from his nap we went to my parents and I made stromboli's and mom made a cesar salad. It was a yummy, easy supper! We ended up coming home w/ a cat... they have this cat that got dropped off down their road and it's driving their dogs nuts, they sit inside and bark at the cat and my mom was wanting it gone... well since B's kittens ran off a few months back & our dog Aggie got ate by the coyote we decided to let him take the cat home & that would get it out of my parents hair! The cat doesn't have a name yet... he was still at our house this morning & Brycen was so glad about that! It's a really tame cat, I think it must of been someones pet or something b/c it didn't even mind riding in the car... I'll have to get a picture of B w/ the cat. He was wanting me to last night, but we were in a hurry to get home. My mom got all of her Christmas stuff put up this weekend while my dad was gone hunting at the cabin and she has a bunch of cute stuff she wasn't using that she gave to me! Awesome, free decorations :) And she always has ADORABLE stuff!

Brycen and my Papaw giving high fives after they won a game on the computer :)

Two of my favorites :)

Please keep my Papaw in your prayers if you think about it. He isn't doing good at all... they've given them a "time", but I have chosen not to be informed of how long his dr's have said... The cancer is just everywhere at this point. I just want to enjoy our time w/ him and not put a "time line" on things... maybe that sounds dumb or like I'm in denial, and maybe I am, but I just don't see how it would makes things better to have a time line...

This is a two day work week for me so I'm excited about that! I can't wait to get our Christmas decorations put up either... I'm getting in the Christmas mood :) Or nesting maybe a little early??? With getting out Christmas stuff means more cleaning and that just sounds really good to me right now... lol... Maybe that's the sleep deprivation talking though. haha.

Surgery & 23 wks and 3 days pic

Well, our trip to the surgeon last night was okay. Ryan does in fact have a hernia. His surgery is scheduled on January 7th unless it gets worse before then and then they would get him in immediately. The Dr. was super nice and explained everything very well. I don't think any of that really interested Ryan, he acted bored, but I love it all! Makes me wish I would of completed that last semester of nursing school instead of doing this ol' boring law stuff day in and day out (okay boring law stuff might be an exaggeration, but...). Anyway, the surgery only takes about 45 min. to complete & said his recovery time should be minimal. We'll see how that goes anyway, but I'm glad we have it all set up and it will get taken care of!

and for the picture...

23 weeks and 3 days

New Bed, Master Bath, Attitude Problems, & Christmas Shopping

Monday night B and I went to WalMart while Ryan mowed up all the leaves and tried to get everything "winterized". The yard looks so much better w/out all those leaves everywhere!
So we went to my mom and dad's on Tuesday evening to eat chili and then my dad came over to help Ryan get our new bed set up... Our old bed was going to my parents house to be set up in their guest room. So... I THOUGHT we had a queen size bed... I was WRONG (although, I bet no one will believe that ;) haha!). Anyway, we only had a FULL size bed! And I kept wondering why we were so crowded! haha! Our new bed is a California King & we are both LOVING it! We feel kind of lost in it though! Anyway, it is so much more comfortable and I'm so excited about it! Now I just have to find some bedding I like... haven't had much success with that so far.
Last night Ryan started painting our master bath. I am so excited to see the finished product. He got the top half done last night... I would call it a dark chocolate brown (Ryan and Brycen said it looked like someone smeared poop on the wall...) lol, I like my description better! It's definitely what I envisioned so that makes me happy! I was a little nervous about doing such a dark color, but I think when everything is done it will be just what I wanted. Well, what I'd really like is for our house to sell and us build our dream house~ BUT~ I keep reminding myself that God's timing is perfect and when it's time for it to sell it will... Anyway, back to the bathroom, Ryan is going to paint the bottom half tonight I think. The top still needs a second coat and then the bottom half is going to be an antiqued white. Ryan is making a new cabinet and medicine cabinet and getting a new top for the cabinet. He's going to make the cabinet w/ an antiqued looking glaze (w/ brown glaze to match the wall). I'm so excited to see it! He is pretty amazing w/ what he comes up with! I'm not proud of him or anything... :) Anyway, Brycen thought it was so fun to "help" Daddy paint. He kept saying he was a worker man just like Daddy! So sweet! Ryan did really good about having patience w/ B too~ b/c I'm sure the job took a little longer w/ Brycen's "help".
So most of the time B is really good and we don't have many problems with him, but lately he has really started to have an attitude. It's making me crazy... actually makes me want to cry and feel like a failure. Any suggestions? He has become really defiant and honestly I just don't know what to do with him when he acts that way. He's been such a good boy up until this point that I've not had to worry about discipline too much, just the usual stuff every once in awhile... These days it feels like every evening is a battle of some sort with him. I'd appreciate ANY suggestions!
This week I've been trying to finish up my Christmas shopping. I'm pretty close to be done. I still have the names Ryan and I drew for his family to buy for and then B's teachers. Any good idea for teacher gifts? I feel like I always do the same things for them. I haven't even really started on B or Ryan's gifts... I'm pretty sure I know what I'm getting Ryan though, and B is so hard since his birthday is so close to Christmas... but we're thinking maybe a trampoline for his big gift... I know he wouldn't be able to use it for a few months, but with his birthday and Christmas so close he gets sooo many things I don't think it would hurt for him to wait to play w/ that gift for awhile :). Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm rambling now so I'll save you all from having to read anymore!!!

my feet

ARE SWOLLEN ughhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our Weekend!

Friday after work B & I went to pick up my parents new puppy & their dog Goldie. It was pouring and we had a mess on our hands by the time we got home! The dogs were really good though Friday night. We didn't do much at all on Friday. I started some laundry and B played w/ the puppy. Sampson the puppy had to go outside to pee like every 30-45 min (no exaggeration!). I felt like I had a newborn! lol. He didn't go in the house at all though so I was proud of him! Saturday morning we got up and played w/ the puppy and then my Grandma came and got the dogs so I could get some stuff done around the house! I started cleaning out closets... oh my! I made such a mess! Brycen's closet looks AMAZING though! I threw so much stuff away and got a ton of stuff to take to the Salvation Army or Goodwill. I am just wanting to get rid of clutter! With another little person coming to our house soon I want to get rid of everything we don't need! Sometimes I am one of those people that think... "well I might use/wear this sometime..." I was so not that girl on Saturday! I wanted to rearrange B's room but didn't figure I better be moving furniture by myself so that has to wait until Ryan has time to help me. I started in the toy room/Andon's room... Oh my! That room is still what I would call a disaster, but it's only b/c it is serving so many purposes right now. Ryan and I both had clothes in that closet and it was our coat closet too (any suggestions for where to keep coats would be greatly appreciated!). I got all of our clothes out of that closet and moved into our closet which is now even more packed than what it was :( but I didn't get time to clean out in there either so I know that's why it is still a mess. I did get Andon's clothes hung up in his closet though! I just love looking at all his stuff! Saturday afternoon B & I went to DQ and got ice cream! We ate inside there since we had nothing but time and B just thought that was the coolest thing ever :) haha, doesn't take much to excite him! Yesterday we waited and waited on Ryan. Brycen missedhis Daddy all weekend and couldn't wait for him to get home... Well, when Ryan finally got home about 8pm last night Brycen was MAD. He just knew Ryan would come home w/ a deer, well poor Daddy didn't get a deer and Brycen was soooo upset! He wouldn't even talk to Ryan! It was so cute though :) Poor Ryan! B finally got over it when Ryan played hide and seek w/ him :) Tonight I am going to get the paint for our blue lagoon master bath. I can't wait to see the changes when the paint gets on! I'm ready to have my bathroom back! Oh yah, I forgot last week to post about how Ryan's dr's appt. went on Monday. His "mole thing" the dr. said he wasn't worried about. We are just supposed to watch it and make sure there aren't any changes. So that was a relief for me, the worrywart(I bet it was your prayer Jamie ;) ) Anyway, the other thing did turn out to be a small hernia. The dr. said he wants him to get it taken care of since his job requires a lot of lifting and stuff... so we have a consultation w/ the surgeon on Thursday afternoon. I don't think Ryan is too thrilled about it, but knows he has to get it taken care of so off we go to see what the surgeon says on Thursday. We are getting our new mattress tomorrow so I am THRILLED! We have to have the most uncomfortable mattress ever made! Now though I have to find a new comforter set b/c we're moving up from a queen to a king. Any suggestions on cheap bedding? I don't want to spend a ton b/c I like to switch things out too much and probably wouldn't be happy keeping one for a long time! :) Anyway, I know I've been bad about putting pictures on... and really I've been bad about getting my camera out at all... I have a couple I want to post, but they are blurry b/c they are w/ my phone. They are too cute not to share though so bare w/ me!

Brycen & Sampson on Friday evening

this is the cutest puppy! i wish he were completely trained and i'd steal him from my mom :)

Brycen was playingw/ his easel (dry erase board) and came out w/ these dress up glasses on and said "hey momma, i'm the science teacher" i laughed SOOO hard! i have no idea where he got that at, but it was pretty funny!

100th Post & Feathers :)

Well, I didn't really plan on posting today, but I wanted to tell everyone how proud and relieved I am with Brycen!

Remember awhile back when he first started pre-school and I was talking about their toucan birds and feathers?? I knew that Brycen would get quite a few of his feathers right away b/c he knew all those things?! Well, this has been a growing frustration at our house! For example, to get a blue feather you have to know 11 colors and 7 different shapes (i.e. squre, oval, octagon, circle...) anyway you get the drift. We have flash cards at home and would go through them when Brycen wanted to and he has known all these for I'd say a good 6 or 7 months. Well, he got his bird for spelling his name right off the bat and a red feather for knowing his birthday too. His teacher would ask him about his shapes and colors and he wouldn't say them! He would look at a square and deliberately say "circle", but then come home and do them all perfectly! I don't know why in the world he was doing this, but it was driving me INSANE b/c I knew he could do them! The same w/ counting to 12 and knowing his phone number. He'd count to like eleven, start laughing and then say 11...13 to his teacher! UGHH!! I didn't know what to do w/ him so I just let him go and gave up. I knew he knew them so I wasn't going to stress about it (but inside I was!). Well, yesterday I guess he finally gave up his stubborness and said all the right things! He got both feathers yesterday! :) I am so proud of him, although over the past 2 months or so I've been ready to throw my hands in the air with all this feather business, I guess he just wanted to do it in his own time.... who knows! Either way I am proud of him and had to call Ryan this morning and tell him when I seen them on B's bird! Oh yes, he didn't even tell me last night that he got them, I just happened to see them on there this morning! What a little turkey! Also, I think I mentioned that he has had absolutly NO interest what so ever in learning how to write his name... Well, I got a dry erase book w/ the letters that you can trace and then practice and he has been LOVING that book! I think b/c he can do it by himself and not have someone tell him do this do that... (um, he is so my son in that dept!). Anyway, he is doing so good w/ that, and it's fun to actually watch him ENJOY doing it!

Okay, enough bragging and talking about B, but I wanted to write this down so we can remember it in years to come :)

Oh yes, and it's my 100th POST! Go me :)

It's been awhile...

This has been the longest inbetween my updates for awhile! I've had stuff to say, just everytime I've started to make a post something else has come up or the words just don't come easily. I'm not sure why, usually I'm never at a loss for words! :) Some say this isn't always a good thing. haha. Anyway, back to our lives... Last Friday night we hung out at home and had breakfast for supper :) I had been craving pancakes, and I'm not even a "breakfast" person! I've turned into quite the insomniac and can't sleep like at all. I have restless leg syndrom (yes, that's a real thing!) and it gets like 100x worse when I am pregnant so it makes it hard to get to sleep b/c I feel like I have bugs crawling up my legs and I can't quit moving them (okay, I know I sound like a freak, hey it runs in the family though!). ANyway, Friday I was so frustrated w/ not being able to sleep that I got up and washed down all the fronts of my kitchen cabinets. Saturday Ryan got the new floor layed in our master bath (i'm loving it already!) and I had him pull out the stove and I cleaned behind it and cleaned it down good. Then I started cleaning out and reorganizing the insides of my cabinets! Took me all day, but I am so happy with having that done! Brycen was busy "helping" Ryan work all day in the bathroom so I was able to get a lot done. My parents and grandparents came over Saturday evening for supper. I had made a big crockpot full of homemade vegetable soup (it's my favorite!). I love having my family over. My grandma brought B a couple "surprises", some new tools (like he needed more of those!) and a new book about where the reindeer are hiding! Sunday we went to church & then to Ryan's parents for lunch. This week has been a short work week for me w/ Veteran's Day on Tuesday & then my normal day off yesterday. Tuesday morning I had a bunch of errands to run & I had promised my mom I would make her a dirt pudding to take to my brother's cross country awards banquet (which btw he received The Most Valuable Runner award). Anyway, that afternoon I had my check up with my OB in Evansville & another ultrasound to get the rest of the measurements they couldn't get last time since Andon wouldn't hold still! My ultrasound was great in the health department and everything looks as it should (thank you Lord!). Andon is already being stubborn (he will fit in our family quite well!). SHe kept trying to get him to turn his face over so I could get a good look and she could get another profile picture for us, but he refused! She worked and worked and he would flip over and everything but all while keeping his head turned away from the camera! Soo, no cute u/s pics this time! Just the back of his head and a foot picture! My Dr. was out delivering a baby so I actually seen one of her partners which was fine w/ me. I love all the women in the office, but especially this one b/c she was on call & delivered Brycen and was so kind and wonderful! Yesterday I had to go to Wal-Mart (as you all I know I dread this!). I got in and out pretty fast though and was able to get some Taco Bell and take to my honey and we ate lunch together at the cabinet shop! That was a nice treat & we don't get to do that often enough! Last night Ryan went to the gun range to get his gun all sighted in and practice a bit since this weekend is opening weekend for shot gun. He will be gone all weekend to "deer camp!" lol. He is quite excited about it. Brycen & I made sugar cookies and iced them while he was gone last night. I think most of them got ate last night when Ryan got home! lol, All B wanted to do was lick the icing off :) Oh yah, one last thing, a funny story about B. He brought home his scholastic book order papers the other day from school & we were looking through them and he pointed at a "princess" book and said he wanted that one. I was like "well Brycen, that's a girl book, princesses are for girls." And he said, "Momma, I just want a princess book b/c they are pretty and I want to kiss them!" ARE YOU kIDDING ME??? Did my three yr. old just say that? It was pretty cute, and needless to say when I made him tell Ryan why he wanted the princess book, his daddy was pretty proud. Oh my goodness, I don't know how I will be a sane person living w/ THREE boys! :) I'm sure this is just the beginning... and I'm loving it already! I reminded him that the only girl he better be kissing is his momma!