Love Thursday #2...

I just loved this too much!!! See more Love Thursday photos here.

Worst mother ever...

So, here is the run down.

Jason - Upper respiratory infection and the flu
Brodie - ear infection and the flu
Chase - the flu
Austin - the flu (caught early so we got on the Tamiflu quickly)

So why am I the worst mother ever?

My kids did not receive their flu shots this year. YUP! Our family doctor had me get mine when I was like 38 weeks pregnant and happened to be in his office with Chase. Chase couldn't get one then because he had a fever. The day we were taking all the boys to get theirs was the day that I ended up in the hospital to have Evan. It just slipped through the cracks since then. BAD MOM!

So far Evan and I seem to be OK. Which is good since neither of us can take the Tamiflu if we get it. My mom is on her way down for the weekend to help out just in case I do end up sick.

I think it has been 30 seconds since I Lysoled everything...time for another round.

Bathe me in Lysol...

It is official...the flu has struck.

Jason got the confirmation from the doctor yesterday that he has THE flu. He also has an upper respiratory infection. Fun times. Brodie has been running a fever for two days, but has not shown other signs of anything major.

So for the next few days I plan on repeatedly spraying anything that sits still with Lysol, in hopes that the rest of us can be spared.

Wish me luck..

Camping...

Jason took Austin and Brodie camping for the first time this weekend. Needless to say, the boys were beyond excited.


Jason even let Austin shoot his pistol for the first time.



What did the babies and I do?

Love Thursday...

I am always looking for things around the internet to get my creative juices flowing and to get me to post on here more often. Thanks to Zoot, I was introduced to site called Shutter Sisters and their Love Thursday. Here is my cotnribution...It is an older picture, but captures the love in this house perfectly!!!

Just as I thought...

I love Target. No, really. It is impossible for me to go into a Target and come out with nothing. In fact, it is hard for me to come out having spent less than $50. It is not a good thing.

I was in Target the other day and was buying a shirt. I am still not sure if the shirt looks good on me despite several compliments. I think these people were just shocked to see me out of t-shirts and hoodies to be honest.

Anyway, off track.

As I was checking out the cashier said, "Cute shirt. I might have to go look at these when I get off."

I said, "For sure. You get the employee discount too, so even better."

"True, but it is hard to take home a paycheck when you work here."

"I can only imagine how much I would spend if I worked here and got a discount. It would be bad. I would be working just to support my Target habit."

The cashier smiled, "Why do you think I work here?"

I KNEW IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need to work at Target.

I love them...

I love these two boys more than words can say....

BUT...if they don't stop with their smart mouths I may have to lock them in a closet.

And yes, Mom, I realize that they are just like THEIR mother. Who do I have to blame for that?

On the upswing...

So I mentioned recently that I have been feeling like I am in a spiritual slump. Nothing major, just out of sync. A lot of that can be attributed to the fact that we had not been attending church for a few months. In late summer we decided that we would stop going to our church 20 miles away and try to find a church closer to our house. What ended up happening was us becoming very lazy about it and then Evan was born...and well the excuses could go on for days.

Now, I am not the type of person that will say in order to be a good little Christian you have to go to church regularly. I am saying that I NEED to. I need that weekly (or more often) time to refocus my mind and my heart. Church is very important to me (Keri, leaving Element 26 was definitely a contributing factor to the slump).

That being said, I think we have found a new church. We have attended for the last two weeks and are very impressed so far. I think we will continue at this church unless something comes up that changes out minds. Things can only get better from here. I even got all the dust off my bible.

Let the purge begin...

New post by me up at Larger Families

Giving him material for his therapist...

Two months...

Can you believe that Evan is already 2 months old? Well, two months and two days to be exact. It amazes me! We had his 2 month check up yesterday. He is doing wonderfully and our doctor was very impressed with him. As far as I am concerned he is one of the four smartest, most wonderful children ever! OK, so maybe I am biased.

Evan weighed a whopping 13 lbs. Would you believe that at 13lbs when he is two months old he is my smallest kid? Chase was 13 lbs 11 oz, Austin was 13 lbs 14 oz and Brodie was 15 lbs. Brodie was a VERY large baby.

Calling Evan "little guy" seems even more fitting now. He did get shots yesterday and doesn't seem to be reacting very well to them. He ran fever last night and has been quite crabby. He is normally a very quiet, laid back baby. He was NOT yesterday. He cried more yesterday than if you took all the other days of his life and added them together.

Evan's Current Likes: Eating...no seriously, he loves it. He will get done nursing and get this half crooked smile on his face. It is hilarious. He also LOVES being in his sling. I need to get a picture of him in the sling. I have tried to take a picture myself, but they don't turn out. (Amanda, remind me to have you take one). He falls asleep within moments of getting in. He likes sleeping on his daddy's chest.

Current dislikes: Immunizations, tummy time (he hates being on his stomach unless it is laying on our chests, and gas.

Barren Wastelands...

7:00 am

The boys are eating their breakfast, preparing for the day ahead. Coffee in hand I feel colder than normal. We are in a barren wasteland. It seems empty. There is information I need that I can not retrieve. Answers need to be found. But how? I give up on my search for the promise land and finish my morning chores. I make lunches, sign folders, get babies bundled up for the trek to school.

7:45 am

We have dropped Austin and Brodie off at school and my spirits are still low due to my stranded condition. We arrive home and I get myself another cup of coffee. Chase is playing and Evan is napping. Why can I still not find the answers I seek? Why am I still in this place?

8:15 am

I try to busy myself with idle, meaningless activities. I toy with idea of getting makeup on and doing my hair and going out shopping. Not a good idea. I still don't know the status of so many things. Why oh why am I stuck in this wasteland.

8:20 am

I have escaped the barren wasteland in which I was stranded.

The Internet is working again!

It's not for lack of things to say...

As you can see I have yet to get back to regular posting. It isn't that I don't want to or that I don't have anything to talk about. I am having a hard time articulating lately what it is that I do want to say. I have about 10 drafts of posts waiting in queue that just aren't what I want to post. I have several friends going through life changing events right now and it has my mind racing. Unfortunately when my mind races my fingers can't always keep up.

A few people I know are going through traumatic experiences that I have gone through. It takes me back several years when I speak to them, as I can totally relate to their pain and confusion.

More than anything it makes me realize that I am in a total spiritual rut (more on that later).