When it Rains, it Pours ~ Or Don't Grow Up!

Recently I posted on Facebook a PSA, a warning to all young people NOT to grow up!  Growing up and becoming a home owner and responsible adult is a trap!  RUN, I wanted to tell them.  Sadly though, Robert is 100% correct in what he always tells our kiddos: “You will be an adult longer than you are a child.”  This past week, truer words have yet to be spoken, and I don’t like it!

Last week started off innocently enough!  Monday morning we noticed the faucet leak in the kitchen was getting worse.  Not a big deal, we had bought a replacement faucet.  BUT, we can’t find the right threads to connect the hoses together.  After 4 trips to various hardware locals throughout the Lake Wales area, I still don’t have a new faucet, and the other one is leaking much worse. 

Thursday we spent the day relaxing and having fun with my brother and his family who were visiting from Nebraska.  Thursday night I got hit with a headache that would not end and had to drive us home in the pouring rain.  I somehow survived and we made it home.  Upon pulling into the yard lightning and thunder flashed so close, all four kiddos and I jumped out of our skin, promptly ran into the house , and did what any self respecting person would do: hid!  As the night wore on, I noticed the house was getting hotter and hotter.  I was right, the air was knocked out!  WHOOT-WHOOT!  I have often wondered why this only happens when I am pregnant, but, I digress.  Friday morning meant a call to the air conditioning repair company (we use Dane’s Air out of Frostproof, they are wonderful), and a few hours, and a few hundred later, we were up and running!  WHEW!

Fast forward to Saturday.  Robert had to work (he put in a full 8 hour day), and I had to take the kiddos to a birthday party!  They were so excited, we knew that there was going to be a HUGE waterslide there and it was a Duck Dynasty theme!  What’s not to love?  As I was making breakfast for the kiddos (homemade waffles), I noticed water was pooling under the refrigerator.  UGH!  Not again, and with water to boot!  I promptly pulled the fridge out, grabbed a towel and started mopping up the mess.  The line to the ice maker was cracked and leaking.  So, I did what any self respecting person would do.  I threw another towel under it, called Robert, and gathered the kiddos and left for the party.  We had a great time and came home to another puddle and sopping wet towel.  I cleaned that mess up and took a nap!  Poor Robert, he came in from work and promptly tackled yet another leak!  UGH!

I **KNOW** that life happens.  I know that everything we touch is manmade and will break and fall apart.  BUT, I would love a break from being an adult!  SIGH!  Maybe I will go hide in my blanket fort today with the kiddos, and eat ice cream, or maybe I will just hug my kiddos, thank my husband for his awesomeness, and praise God that He has blessed us with the means to handle all of life’s problems!

 

 

 

 

Robert’s Birthday!

Anyone that knows me knows that I am a sucker for a birthday party!  I LOVE to celebrate birthdays!  I think that everyone deserves to be celebrated and celebrated in a very real and big way.  I do this with my children.  Every year I say no big party’s this year, and every year I hear a voice say….yeah, but they are only this age once so why not!  Not even Robert is spared from my birthday party mania drive!

This year, for the first time in our lives together, Robert works for a company that gives him his birthday off as a holiday.  Our day started off with Mama making sausage gravy and biscuits for breakfast and then PRESENTS!  Robert’s gas grill has a gas line leaking so he has been asking for a charcoal one for about a year.  GUESS WHAT? This year, we obliged.

Daddy and his boys, Maggie was taking pictures!

Time to open presents.  The grill was from the kiddos.

Mama got Daddy the charcoal, lighter fluid, and a "clicker" lighter.

Of course as soon as it was opened it HAD to be put together!

The finished grill on the porch.

After a calm and relaxing day (I even took a nap) we headed out to meet our very best friends Matt & Darla for Robert’s birthday supper.  Neither one of us had eaten at Texas Cattle Company, so that was the restaurant of choice.  The steak was fantastic!  It literally melted in my mouth, and Robert devoured his.

 All in all his birthday was fabulous because it was a day that was all about him.  I for one am so thankful that he was born and that I was given the gift of being his wife!  That is one of the best reasons that I can think of to celebrate, maybe I can talk him into a celebration this weekend too!

Mom’s Need Encouragement Too!

I have not done a good job with blogging, have I?  I have a lot tell you about all our birthday celebrations, particularly the awesomeness that was Robert’s birthday.  BUT, that would require me finding the chord to my camera and uploading all the photos from my camera that show how much fun we had on Robert’s birthday and over the weekend.

After the wonderfulness that was his birthday and the birthday party we were invited to, life returned to normal.  Well, as hectic as it can be when your right at 4 months pregnant, chasing after 4 kiddos, and dealing with a headache that lasted for 3 ½ days.  Seriously, the headache was enough to drive me nuts, but I still have to be Mom even when I don’t feel like it.

On to Monday, or back to reality day!  It started off as any other Monday would.  Then there was the phone calls, the Mom this isn’t right, Mom I need this, Mom I need….., MOM!!!!!!  And, well Monday saw this hormonal Mom almost sobbing in Tractor Supply because she couldn’t find the right wormer for the chickens (which was sitting on the shelf in front of her), or deal with the power bill that came in the mail that is now more than our truck payment (which is almost $400.00).  Yep, it’s Monday. 

So, I did what any self respecting Mom would, I ran away.  Not really, I was home by 9:30.  BUT, I did head to Sebring to my Mom’s Night Out with some of the most amazing women I know, fellow homeschooling Mama’s in the group that I love called CHEFF.  It was just what I needed.  A night of encouragement, a night of laughter, and a night of being able to cry and have a beautiful woman come and stand next to me and say: “Let’s pray about this right now.”

Thanks to these beautiful women, I can go on and be Mom today.  Did the night out help?  Yep.  I got up this morning, did laundry, and have lesson plans for one child three weeks in advance.  Yes, encouragement helps.  And even this battle weary Mama needs a friend every now and again!  Thanks Ladies, you all rock!

 

OH~ And I promise to get that chord and photos up soon!!!!  (Maybe!)

 

 

A Low Key 4th Due to an Eventful 3rd!

This year our 4^th of July was so low key, I didn’t take any pictures.  Nothing that I had planned, besides the food, actually happened.  We can blame all of this on the events of the 3^rd that left me so utterly exhausted I literally napped the afternoon of the 4^th away, and was back in bed by 8:00 that night.  No fireworks, no sparklers, nothing!  Yeah, it was that laid back!

BUT, there was a very good reason for our “lack” of on the 4^th!  July 3^rd was a crazy and stressful day!!!! It started off with well visits for Ethan and Cole.  Thankfully they weren’t that bad, Cole only needed one shot and we were off for lunch at Chick-Fil-A, a wonderful treat when we need shots or a trip to the doctor!  After a yummy lunch we then headed to my midwives appointment.  We were at a crucial week in the pregnancy, week 12; the same week that Samuel died in.  This week it was important to make sure my body would not have any issues and that all would be well.  Guess what, it wasn’t!

Well, technically it was, but we wouldn’t know that for another 3 ½ hours.  My midwife’s office is about 45 minutes away from our house.  We live in Lake Wales and the office is in Lakeland.  When she couldn’t find a heartbeat they wanted to do another ultrasound to ensure that all was well, as did I.  BUT, because it was the 3^rd, so many doctors were on vacation, and everything was booked……we had to kill time (and obsessively worry) for over 3 hours.  Of course in the midst of this were the wonderful Florida rainy afternoons.  So, I called my Mom to come get the kiddos (which she didn’t), to take them home.  I called Robert to meet me at the ultrasound appointment, which he made it in just as they called me into the room, and then we headed to the mall to walk around and let the kids play in the kid pit.  I had to keep things as normal as possible even though I was feeling anything but!

At last the appointment came!  Guess what, the little Peanut had not only gotten bigger, but it was flipping and laying funny!  Thankful for the ultrasound technology, we heard a strong heartbeat and got to watch as the baby wiggled away from the wand and kicked at it as it tried to flip back onto its tummy.  I wonder if this baby will want to be a tummy sleeper…….

See the little one started off on it's tummy.....

But after being prodded a little flipped onto its back and promptly kicked out! Little Bit has certainly grown in the last 3 weeks too!

 

And the eventful 3^rd is why we did nothing on the 4^th!