tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62533377643011658232012-02-01T06:03:25.378-07:00Dawnnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-76464896576778631702011-11-19T01:17:00.000-07:002011-11-19T01:17:24.892-07:00

The end of October brought my birthday round again...making me 31.  I remember when I thought the 30's were old.  Amazing how perspective changes.   It also brought an end to my 3 weeks of single-momming-it.   Caleb was working in a potato harvest 2 hours away.  He came home only for Sunday and left again early Monday morning.  It was a challenging time for all, but we made it through.  I am

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-66073959220256840602011-10-13T14:06:00.000-06:002011-10-13T14:06:18.441-06:00

Blogging... The boys have discovered my blog.  They love looking through the archives at the pictures of them when they were small.  I read a bit to them the other day and they laughed and giggled and sometimes said "I remember that!"  or "No, I didn't do that!"  lol!  And really that is what my blogging is all about and why I returned to it.  So that years down the road we could enjoy

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-19948821744188038872011-10-12T00:17:00.001-06:002011-10-12T00:21:18.500-06:00

The 7th of October to be exact.  I'm suppose to be posting pictures of pumpkin patches, apple picking, piles of crunchy leaves and corn mazes.  But, no...we had snow.  A little early for my liking, but on the other hand, the kids were thrilled.  We had smiles all around, except for Tesni... she wasn't quite as happy. Paul, the boy who was making "dirt angels" not too long ago, got to make "snow

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-85769442238545953922011-10-04T10:47:00.009-06:002011-10-07T19:20:05.975-06:00

1. Giving good value or service in relation to the amount of money, time, or effort spent With Caleb looking for work I tried to think of some good fun we could do as a family over the summer that did not include much money.  We've played a lot of games like Chess and Monopoly.  I've taught them Skipo and a couple other card games as well.  We visited the local park and library regularly.  So

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-72308454407927602742011-10-03T07:28:00.006-06:002011-10-03T09:17:32.431-06:00

Kids, as they currently are... Left to Right. Tesni 1 Seth 8 Elisa 2 Paul 5 Jason 7 Morgan 4 Good thing there is nothing wrong with this picture.  Like stuff hiding under the couch or legs that look like they haven't been washed in 3 days or imprints on the wall of an enthusiastic door knob...because those could all be slightly embarrassing.   Nope.  This picture is perfect.  Perfect real life

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-33802896456912751992011-10-02T16:49:00.000-06:002011-10-02T16:49:23.294-06:00

Well, we've ended up in Idaho.  The beautiful Teton Valley.  We have a new home.  A church to serve in.  School has started once again.  Tesni is walking.  Elisa is potty learning.  Laundry is on the line.  Meals to make. House to clean.  Kids to parent.  Everything and nothing is the same, but one thing is certain life does move on.  We desperately miss what was, but I am determined that we

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-77210104257221050162011-10-01T11:37:00.003-06:002011-10-03T05:43:52.262-06:00

Flight into Dallas. We have friends near there with whom we will stay while we look for a vehicle. (This will be Tesni's first time in a car seat! Woo! Hoo!) Plans after that are kind of up in the air. Okay. Really there aren't any. See what I mean about things not turning out as planned. You have some direction and life is going merrily along and then "poof". You don't and it's not and

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-44490200585612115132011-10-01T11:36:00.001-06:002011-10-01T11:36:21.344-06:00

Things don't always turn out the way we plan.  I'm learning to trust God in ways I've never imagined needing to...ways that hurt. I've been working on my weight. Down 38lbs since january. We fly into Dallas may 10th.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-88754069724677020652011-10-01T11:35:00.001-06:002011-10-01T11:35:05.544-06:00

Don't know that anyone will even see this as I'm pretty much a nonexistent blogger, but just in case... All the kids. Today. Good looking bunch, if I do say so myself.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-56258919193270819902011-10-01T11:34:00.002-06:002011-10-01T22:10:02.947-06:00

Thanksgiving was good. We had company over for the day. She's American. He's Welsh. They have a 1 year old son and go to our church. This was the first time we've ever had guests for a Holiday. In the morning we did a turkey craft with the kids. Just a color, cut and glue turkey, but on each of the 5 feathers we wrote what they were thankful for. Most of them said things like God, food,

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-63068482603117151192011-10-01T11:32:00.002-06:002011-10-01T22:12:50.761-06:00

I have so many thoughts swirling around in my mind. It would help to be able to think things through, but the funnel is jammed. clogged. stopped up. So how about a list of topics. Can I manage that? Acceptance gets easier with practice. Contentment. Parenting children (not babies). I have a 7 year old, people! I don't know what I'm doing! On being 30 Weight loss, or lack there of. Sweet

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-76888206207095847562011-10-01T11:31:00.002-06:002011-10-01T11:32:08.516-06:00

We just finished up putting on a week long Holiday Bible Time/Vacation Bible School. We started the week with our three (kids) plus one and ended the week with our three plus seven...all boys. It was pretty fun. A success. And my boys are already looking forward to next summer. It was a lot of time and work on our part, but when I hear Seth and Jason going around the house saying "What time

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-89852461905029712322011-10-01T11:30:00.002-06:002011-10-01T11:30:40.996-06:00

Ok. I'm doing better today. :) The current plan is.. Wait for Jason's medicine to come (we had to order it from the States). See how he does with it (Doctor says he should be fine). See how we do over the winter (mold grows most during the cold season). Re-evaluate the situation in the spring. Until then I'm going to pray for and love on Jason as much as I can. God has given us this

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-89374394632383080672011-10-01T11:29:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:29:38.338-06:00

I don't know what to do with him. He is up to two naps a day because he is so tired. He is almost 6 years old. This shouldn't be. I have to be careful which room I put him in because he is so destructive. He will throw and break things. He's become violent when crossed. He is big enough now that he can actually hurt me. When he has the screaming fits it helps if I just hold him... but what I

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-6680488639442100412011-10-01T11:29:00.001-06:002011-10-01T11:29:04.582-06:00

Have I mentioned that Jason has problems with Welsh dirt? Two weeks ago we got in touch with our naturopathic doctor. One last thing to do before considering taking Jason back to the States...again. He has progressively gotten worse since we returned in February...major de ja vue as parents. I haven't written about it because I promised myself that I would only write positive things about him

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-42374300760159459352011-10-01T11:27:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:27:59.068-06:00

I'm not a matchy matchy type person. In fact, I'd say I'm the opposite. Whatever that is... Hodge Podge. Mixy Matchy. Eclectic. I don't know. I can tolerate coordinating, but like it best when we don't match at all. It's not even necessary for clothing to match. Today Seth is wearing green camouflage shorts and a dark purple shirt with green, white and lavender stripes... He looks

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-11033634699975744362011-10-01T11:27:00.001-06:002011-10-01T11:27:13.094-06:00

The other day Paul was looking through a photo album, which incidently had pictures of my mom. Which got him talking about Grandma and how he wanted to visit her. How he wished she wasn't so far away. How this isn't our house... the house we live in is near Grandma's house. Getting himself really worked up. Real tears and everything. So... After swallowing the lump in my throat A brilliant idea.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-42097555541617774032011-10-01T11:26:00.004-06:002011-10-01T11:26:24.212-06:00

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-959617623751887142011-10-01T11:25:00.002-06:002011-10-01T11:25:15.742-06:00

Leftovers for lunch today. Lentils, re-fried beans with corn chips, cauliflower and sweet potato... aren't you all incredibly jealous. Ooh, careful there, you're going to drool on your keyboard. Haha! I went to a breastfeeding support group on Tuesday. Only because it's a way to meet other moms... not for the breastfeeding support since I could probably run the group myself. lol! I've found

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-42253502759590367432011-10-01T11:24:00.002-06:002011-10-01T11:24:24.241-06:00

Well, if anything this post has made me realize how much I need to organize our photos. What a mess! Seth and Jason were born during our traveling days before digital graced our family so what pictures there are of them are spread from boxes in my garage all the way to Grandma's attic in Pennsylvania. And I apparently have folders and folders of really bad pictures sneaking around in my computer

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-55536820391264173132011-10-01T11:23:00.001-06:002011-10-01T11:59:58.171-06:00

It's been a month since Tesni joined the family. I felt like I really needed a babymoon and since most my friends really do live in my computer that is the reason for the silence. I took this last month and focused on my recovery and the family adjustment of adding Tesni. (I forget just exactly how difficult those two things are.) She is such a good baby. She's been sleeping through the

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-32743231337656200392011-10-01T11:21:00.006-06:002011-10-01T11:59:34.603-06:00

Tesni Simone Arrived today after a 3 1/2 hour labor at 7:45am 9lbs. 13oz. 20 1/2 in. So thankful for an "easy" delivery and a healthy baby. Birth story to follow...eventually.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-18398306610565308642011-10-01T11:21:00.005-06:002011-10-01T11:59:09.796-06:00

Trying out a new form of birth control... Keep the baby inside. For. Ever.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-5323008367416144762011-10-01T11:20:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:58:46.934-06:00

I didn't get the 12 week dating scan...maybe I got my due date off. I've been measuring 1-2 weeks small the entire pregnancy. I NEVER measure small. Hopefully she shows up before Tuesday. The midwife is going to start pressuring me for induction if I go more than 2 weeks over. I declined a sweep on Wednesday. Didn't want to chance her breaking my water and putting me on the clock to get this

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-11734691699141219232011-10-01T11:19:00.007-06:002011-10-01T11:57:29.926-06:00

Still waiting. 3 days overdue. I'm pretty sure we nixed our baby name today. I told Caleb this afternoon I was having second thoughts...wasn't sure about it. He said he had been feeling the same way but hadn't mention it because he didn't have any other suggestions. So I guess it's back to square one...or maybe square two as we are tossing around a name we passed over when choosing Elisa.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-22796050769018459032011-10-01T11:19:00.006-06:002011-10-01T11:57:14.767-06:00

Elisa is at such a cute age...she's more independent wanting to do new things, but not yet at the tantrum stage because she can't do some things. I love seeing the differences between her and the boys. Two weeks ago she was working on her 5th and 6th tooth...crabbing and fussing even while being held. I set her in the middle of my bed and put a pile of summer clothes that I had just dug out in

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-79109254650778615542011-10-01T11:17:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:56:48.031-06:00

Mother's Day consisted of staying home with 2 sick grouchy little ones. Yeah me! Measured Jason's feet...his shoes are 1.5 sizes too small. Couple weeks ago Morgan's feet started getting these weird spots (thought they might be worts?), but found his shoes were 1.5 sizes too small as well. Bad Mommy. Guess I'm going to have to keep up on that better...apparently they are not going to tell me

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-88271748047099921712011-10-01T11:16:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:56:31.264-06:00

At 14.5 months Elisa is walking. She's so pleased with herself. Giggling, giggling, giggling the whole time. Her actual "first steps" were taken for Seth. He was pretty excited.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-88890352340433801992011-10-01T11:15:00.001-06:002011-10-01T11:56:02.215-06:00

Been doing a lot of research and planning with Morgan's diet. We may have inadvertently been causing some of Morgan's sensitivities. Apparently you can cause additional sensitivities by eating the same things over and over without much variation. Which we do, and I hate it, but can't seem to get away from it when trying to make food that is safe for everybody here. Seems Morgan has a problem

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-30306512319244203932011-10-01T11:12:00.001-06:002011-10-01T11:55:34.890-06:00

Please say a prayer for a college friend of mine. Becky gave birth to a stillborn baby boy today. She was due May 11. One week before me. I don't know what happened. She hasn't shared details. I've never been so nervous about a birth before. This is the second stillborn baby in the last two weeks. Another college friend lost her's at 21 weeks. Please God, keep my baby safe.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-19370307684693115292011-10-01T11:11:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:54:47.027-06:00

When we returned Stateside one of many things we did not keep were the boys' bikes. I've been keeping an eye on e-bay in search of some bargain bikes. They showed up as a "surprise" last week. We had some very happy kids round here. I thought they would need to relearn as they had been without training wheels for only a month before we left and then hadn't ridden bikes at all for 9 months.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-59560092887458369342011-10-01T11:10:00.007-06:002011-10-01T11:54:29.667-06:00

Something I don't mind seeing everyday!

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-56751414098021494572011-10-01T11:10:00.006-06:002011-10-01T11:53:51.009-06:00

 I'm in the midst of the last 4 weeks of torture pregnancy, hoping that by some miracle I go early. My out and about days are over as the baby has dropped and I have a serious duck thing going on. I'm not about to waddle the 2 mile round trip to town...it's painful and embarrassing. I keep reminding myself that the worst this pregnancy has dished out is NOTHING compared to last time. I've

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-41920779069657600502011-10-01T11:09:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:53:20.751-06:00

Paul had his birthday two weeks ago. I was planning on a small family celebration, but he kept talking about how Grandma was going to come for his birthday. To distract from the fact that she wasn't actually going to be here I threw together a last minute party for him. My five, plus the combined 5 of two other families, makes for a nice size party without much effort. Paul didn't seem

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-960884441337753742011-10-01T11:07:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:51:40.420-06:00

Although I am happy to be home, I really enjoyed the time we were able to spend with family... particularly the holidays. They're just not the same without someone to celebrate with. They would remain just like any other day for us, excepting what is decided to do to make it special, which boils down to extra work. This being our first holiday alone again, I really didn't feel like putting in

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-4386564825877591302011-10-01T11:06:00.006-06:002011-10-01T11:51:19.574-06:00

Yesterday Morgan ate: eggs and white potato hamburger and white potato chicken noodle soup (consisting of chicken, wheat-free noodles (made of corn and rice flours) and bouillon) Today's plan: popcorn white rice with leftover chicken broth grapefruit hamburger and roasted potato I didn't find any information about olive oil, but we have also been using that in cooking. I realize the only

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-17708599509763816312011-10-01T11:06:00.005-06:002011-10-01T11:50:01.439-06:00

Swings and Sunshine Does it get any better? Yesterday Morgan ate: white potato eggs white rice bouillon butter grapefruit Today his nose is clear. clean. normal. Stink. I was hoping it was something other than fructose. In two days we get to introduce additional foods. I hope bananas are safe. He loves them.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-87177575313735373982011-10-01T11:05:00.004-06:002011-10-01T11:49:44.454-06:00

We are tackling Morgan's food allergies. We have a list for him, but, excluding dairy,have done nothing with it. His eczema, which he had suffered with since he was an infant, disappeared as soon as we returned to the states...don't know why. His remaining symptoms (excessive gas, diaper issues and a permanent runny nose) are not improving on their own and will start causing him social issues as

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-85420889385584114872011-10-01T11:04:00.008-06:002011-10-01T11:48:33.007-06:00

Ultrasound today said.... Baby is healthy right size for gestation and is of the female persuasion. * This is not an April Fool's post.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-17217971566811839652011-10-01T11:04:00.007-06:002011-10-01T11:47:04.288-06:00

Today my baby turned one. We celebrated her birthday on Sunday and I have pictures, but they are not ready to share. Elisa can stand, wave, clap, say dada. She eats and eats and eats but only weighs 16lbs. The other night she ate 4 bananas while waiting for her spaghetti to cook, which she then ate a bowl of. I don't know where she puts it, but I'm thankful for yet another child who does not

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-79866158054475206782011-10-01T11:03:00.004-06:002011-10-01T11:46:01.782-06:00

My favorite of her dresses. Wanted to get some pictures of her wearing it before she gets too big. I love having a daughter!

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-13868646127760083082011-10-01T11:02:00.001-06:002011-10-01T11:45:38.592-06:00

Got in late last night from a quick 3 day trip to Massachusetts to visit with extended family on my Dad's side. It has been 5 years since our last visit so it was nice to reconnect with everyone again. We stayed with one of my Aunts (my dad has 3 sisters) and her husband and 5 of their 6 daughters ranging in age from 13 to 22. You know, I hardly had to watch the boys at all. There were so

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-85864020206291709222011-10-01T11:01:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:44:58.307-06:00

Okay...so I have two goals for this year. 1. Make a menu consisting of 30 meals, which we like and are allergy friendly. This is no easy task...for me anyway. I don't particularly enjoy cooking. And to go through the effort of a new recipe only for it to be received by anything less than "Mmmm! You make good food, Mom!" ...well, lets just say their next meal is oatmeal or a potato. I'm

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-31613894837081068732011-10-01T11:00:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:44:40.821-06:00

A couple weeks ago I purchased one Blueberry one-size snap wrap and one Flip one-size snap wrap. I wanted to compare before replenishing my supply of wraps. After 3 years and 3 babies the velcro is shot on most of my Bummis. I chose Flip. The Blueberry didn't fit both sizes as well. It fit nicely on Morgan's 32.5 lbs, but was quite bulky on Elisa's 14.5 lbs. I didn't see how it would work

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-1495636142964453312011-10-01T10:59:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:44:22.753-06:00

Baby Girl's First Christmas 10 months old I can't believe we are coming up on Elisa's 1st birthday already...with a new baby just 3 months later. Ack! I am in no way ready for that so we will just not think about it. lol! She is very little weighing just 14 1/2 lbs. I'm grateful for the big cloth diaper bum...it keeps her pants up. I just realized the other day that she has only put on 3

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-31491662522541982062011-10-01T10:58:00.007-06:002011-10-01T11:44:04.719-06:00

Sledding in January I meant to post this yesterday. Joining Some Boys in posting a picture everyday in January and I blew it on the first day. Haha.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-43826930333767468652011-10-01T10:58:00.006-06:002011-10-01T11:43:24.847-06:00

On the whole 2009 has been pretty rotten year for us and I'm looking forward to a new year. Elisa joining our family in February and finding out in June that Jason has Lyme's Disease have been the highlights of the year. I'm not going to spend my last blog of 2009 posting about things I'd rather not remember ...just know that I can't wait for 2010.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-85817086478342627402011-10-01T10:57:00.007-06:002011-10-01T11:43:06.472-06:00

Just before Paul was born I picked up a navy blue diaper bag off the clearance rack for $20.00. 4 years of constant hard use later...it's needing to be replaced. Since it served me so well I wanted to get the same name brand. It was a good bag to hold up for so long. So I google it. What a bummer to find out this bag runs between $80 and $110. Gah. It's a Kipling bag, btw. That didn't mean

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-89955574318626506592011-10-01T10:57:00.006-06:002011-10-01T11:42:42.792-06:00

Dress the kids...check Clean faces....check Find lost shirt Jason didn't want to wear...check Caleb sets up camera and backdrop...check Comb hair...check Double check noses...check Scrub Paul's now dirty shirt...check 9 minutes and 10 shots later we have this.... The first family photo since Paul was 6 months old. 2009 has made history. Thankfully Caleb is handy with photo shopping. Fix

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-80716775780463377932011-10-01T10:56:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:42:02.270-06:00

Here is what I've been busily working on for the last couple weeks... Actually, there are 16 of them... For those of you who frequent natural toy websites you may have seen something similar under the name Holztiger. I used their pictures as templates and copied most of the paintwork as well. I am so happy with how they turned out. I know the boys will be in love and I had so much fun

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-64246906651168920632011-10-01T10:55:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:41:43.141-06:00

Wow. It's been a while. It took 3 months for the kids to kick the whooping cough. It also took 3 months for me to kick the morning sickness. I'm due May 18th. We are going home February 22. I CAN"T WAIT!!! Kids are growing. Elisa is almost 10 months...can you believe it!?! Currently preparing to spend Christmas with my family in PA. We have snow! Yeah!!! I'm making the boys' present.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-40915855139815906742011-10-01T10:54:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:40:54.071-06:00

Life happens every time I get going on some plan or routine. Blah! Two weeks in and we realize little Elisa had whooping cough. We thought it was just a cold at first, but then it got pretty bad. Caleb and I started taking shifts so that one of us was with her around the clock. I also started taking massive doses of vitamin C. It turned her cough around in 2 days. She is now just coughing 2

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-78360905592813740082011-10-01T10:52:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:40:05.842-06:00

We finally had our appointment with our naturopathic doctor. He sent us a Zyto machine. It is very complicated and has to do with quantum physics which is way beyond my puny understanding, but simply put he was able to tell our allergies and diagnos problems through the computer. He is sending us the lists, yes, LISTS of allergies by email. The biggest surprise was that Jason has Lyme disease

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-8741459021946622682011-10-01T10:50:00.003-06:002011-10-01T11:39:36.179-06:00

Our flight went shockingly smooth. The boys were great...well behaved. Something funny... The plane was in a 3 seat...aisle...3 seat set up. As we situating ourselves the lady who was to have the window seat on the right side arrived. "I specifically requested NO CHILDREN!" is what she said. LOL! Half the children on the plane where sitting in her row. :) Thankfully she was able to be moved so we

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-74446214234762303132009-05-18T08:13:00.002-06:002011-10-01T12:02:52.161-06:00

Happy 3 Months, Baby Girl. Someone asked how our baby she is different than the baby he's. Well... As far as appearance She is very different than the last 3 he's who've graced our family. But she does resembles the first he so much...it's freaky. However... There is her own special unique "just because I'm a she" cry. All parents learn their babies cries. You can tell when their hungry or

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-65462077651972215812009-05-17T06:43:00.002-06:002011-10-01T12:02:36.983-06:00

After trying many many many things...Morgan once again has clear. smooth. soft. baby skin. We haven't seen it since he was a month old. The doctor's couldn't help. "Put this cream on it." is what I was told...which, of course was a steroid cream. He said there was no way to find the source of his eczema. I was not satisfied with that answer. Some things I've tried have lessened but never

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-44882446974871373102009-05-13T08:14:00.001-06:002009-05-13T08:15:04.789-06:00

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-8080273889513952992009-05-06T07:34:00.001-06:002009-05-06T07:50:01.424-06:00

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-39978256128190655682009-05-05T13:15:00.000-06:002009-05-05T13:26:41.131-06:00

Elisa smiles.She weighs 11.5 pounds.Is 24 inches long.Wears size 3-6 month clothes.Sleeps through the night.Loves to be swaddled.Has the softest cryand the sweetest coo.Seth and Jason call her"This Little Girl"Don't grow up too fast Little Girl.I'm loving your baby days.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-58374585757528286792009-05-03T10:27:00.000-06:002009-05-03T10:39:35.090-06:00

Seth and Jason both started riding without training wheels about 2 weeks ago. Woo! Hoo! They are doing great. I'm so proud of them. :) For some reason we only ended up with pictures of Jason though. Going to have to fix that.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-32498277098934808672009-04-21T04:53:00.000-06:002009-04-21T08:00:24.476-06:00

We took Saturday off from packing to do something nice with the boys. They were in need of some special family time. Morgan, especially, has been feeling insecure with all the changes going on. We went to our favorite place... Glynllifon. And...SURPRISE!!! There are pictures. lol!Our Favorite Things...Flowers...Water...Sticks...Rocks...Food...Fun!!!

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-63098233937695753722009-04-15T10:04:00.000-06:002009-04-15T10:08:42.886-06:00

Beautiful Dreamer

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-10800103393716522662009-04-13T14:28:00.000-06:002009-04-13T14:57:03.522-06:00

Note to self...No egg hunt before church. The combination of excitement and sugar is NOT GOOD!We had high flying boys for Sunday service.Yippee!The Easter dress...And I was just feeling brave enough to try this......the first picture we have of all five of them.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-47888659799020066312009-03-14T12:14:00.001-06:002009-03-14T14:54:23.040-06:00

The boys have been itching to test out their Christmas skateboards. With the move, a new baby, bad health and foul weather this was their first opportunity.I stayed home with the two little ones while Caleb took 3 excited boys to the skate park for 3 hours. Upon their return I asked Caleb if he had let them do all sorts of crazy things which would not have been allowed had I been there.The answer

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-57589651388315052222009-03-13T01:34:00.000-06:002009-03-13T04:27:04.428-06:00

I have not needed to purchase any clothes for Elisa. I have bittersweet feelings about this. It is great financially, but I would love to buy some of the pretty clothes I've been eying for the last 5 years. I just can't bring myself to do it when she doesn't need them...especially since I know in six months time my stash will run out and then I can have my fun.So her gift monies are being

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-32660959465604832332009-03-11T17:26:00.000-06:002009-03-12T03:20:46.410-06:00

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-77913162431902054372009-03-09T07:15:00.000-06:002009-06-16T09:29:19.368-06:00

I can't claim any of the beautiful photographs which grace my blog. My husband is the genius behind the camera. However, I did take these. :)

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-51978109828815504582009-03-02T07:54:00.001-07:002009-03-12T03:22:30.863-06:00

...the computer whiz kid.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-88555288033143774952009-03-01T11:01:00.000-07:002009-03-12T03:23:03.469-06:00

I love little girl clothes.I love having girly colors in the laundry basket.I love how my boys think we havea little princess living with us.I am so excited she is here.You're probably sick of hearing about it.:)I've been looking online at baby dolls, tea sets,and dress up clothes with ribbons and tulle.I've even been looking at tiny baby hair bows.Is that ridiculous?

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-12673436541329045302009-02-28T14:06:00.001-07:002009-03-12T03:23:43.073-06:00

She is such a good baby. Wakes up just once a night to eat and goes right back to sleep. I've not put her on a feeding schedule like I usually do with my babies. I'm trying something new...called demand feeding. lol!She weighed 8lb. 8oz. on her 1 week checkup. I wasn't expecting to have a small baby. I know she's not tiny, but compared to the last two 9lb+ babies...she is little. I even had to go

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-26536273984728094862009-02-25T14:27:00.000-07:002009-03-12T03:24:45.907-06:00

Notice anything different? (Besides the dinged up face.)No?What you see heremakes him one of the coolest kids around.It's true.Pants tucked into your socks is the epitome of coolness.It's also necessary for playing soccer.There is no talking him out of it.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-63326013176375620582009-02-23T09:58:00.000-07:002009-03-12T03:25:30.684-06:00

I am so in love with this little girl.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-10698857292480866392009-02-21T10:19:00.001-07:002009-03-12T03:27:05.264-06:00

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-39858447920099263502009-02-18T13:57:00.000-07:002009-03-12T03:28:09.563-06:00

...and pictures, as promised. She weighs 8lbs. 11oz. and is 20 inches long.This was a shock. My babies have never had this much hair and certainly not so black. I hope she keeps it...I think it's beautiful.I went to bed Tuesday night with the normal pains I've been having for the last 3 weeks and woke up in labor around 1am. I timed contractions for 1/2 hour, but when they quickly got to be 5-7

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-59913894927635238712009-02-18T06:14:00.000-07:002009-03-12T03:28:47.338-06:00

Elisa Noellearrived at 4:18 this morning.Pictures to follow.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-8732778602023574912009-02-15T14:02:00.000-07:002009-03-12T03:30:33.813-06:00

Anyone out there praying that I have this baby soon can stop now.I don't want to go into labor until tomorrow night.We accidentally ran out of oil yesterday.Meaning no heat...no hot water.Not exactly a home water birth friendly situation.Oil will be delivered tomorrow afternoon sometime.Feel free to then resume prayers, thoughts, hopes, wishes of labor.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-41072284120996107002009-02-14T13:29:00.000-07:002009-03-12T03:31:02.817-06:00

February brought with it snow...something we don't see much of. It lasted nearly a whole week. Although neither I nor Morgan ventured outside to enjoy this winter treat, the others went out to play...several times. Here are a few pictures of their fun...

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-13054668097513284232009-02-12T11:21:00.000-07:002009-03-12T03:31:39.709-06:00

There has been no progress on the baby front.We are all still excitedly awaiting her arrival.Course,Some of us have odd ways of showing it...

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-43589376163433852212009-02-10T11:05:00.000-07:002009-02-10T11:31:30.276-07:00

we got a phone call today saying that our internet was hook up and working. Yeah!!! It was an accident. They were actually meant to turn on our neighbor's internet, but turned on ours instead. And even though they were set on making us wait longer (for absolutely no reason) they will leave it on. :)Which means you all have not missed the birth. I haven't yet decided if I will do progress reports

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-60410446728229778492009-01-31T05:06:00.000-07:002009-01-31T05:17:05.039-07:00

Internet...Hook-up date is February 23 so you all will miss the baby's arrival...hopefully...unless I'm very late.Family...If you want to know if the baby has arrived you will have to call us. We cannot call you, but you can use our skype number and it will transfer to our home phone.Baby progress...I am about 5 centemeters dialated.Ellen...Call me.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-79297152605490078412008-12-30T09:38:00.000-07:002008-12-30T09:41:01.150-07:00

Paul:"I need a bath.I need a bath cuz my hips hurt.My hips hurt...I need the baby out."I think he's been listening to me too muchHaha!

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-13802176717670773292008-12-25T11:33:00.000-07:002008-12-25T12:48:00.577-07:00

Christmas EveAfter reading the Christmas story and tucking the little kiddlets up in bed, Caleb did his fatherly duties of assembling gifts, setting up the external flash for photos, and vacuuming the living room.Meanwhile, I redecorated the tree which was an absolute mess. I even had to turn the tree around because some of the branches in the front had been broken with no hope of repair. I

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-73065665215777517292008-12-23T15:52:00.000-07:002008-12-23T15:56:35.087-07:00

when you're not keeping up on your housework very well?When your 5 year old tells youhe wants to move to the new house.......because it's clean!Okay, that was funny, but my house is not.I just want to be able to get up, move easily andCLEAN MY HOUSE!!!Moving date is January 2nd, by the way.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-59757129241432925862008-12-17T16:09:00.000-07:002008-12-17T16:12:05.308-07:00

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-22236640934668083542008-12-16T14:18:00.001-07:002008-12-16T14:56:33.984-07:00

Over the last few weeks (before I knew we'd be moving) I've been decorating the baby's corner of our room. Since I was nearly finished I hung up the last two things anyway just to take pictures. :) I'm hoping everything can stay the same after the move...just a new room, new corner, new walls.The shelves and Willow Tree figures I already had. I put scrapbook paper behind the shelves to make them

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-79588567791736973572008-12-15T06:38:00.000-07:002008-12-15T06:40:27.800-07:00

AAAHHH!!! JASON!!!HE JUST POKED A STICK IN MY BRAND NEW BIRTHING BALL!!!I AM SO NOT HAPPY RIGHT NOW!

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-10625061610356230712008-12-05T06:25:00.000-07:002008-12-05T06:53:47.811-07:00

At 2 1/2 Paul is fully talking, but like most kids his age he has several cute words and saying that are unique. Here are a few of the more unusual ones...Sen is Jason and can easily be confused with Seth when said by Paul.Namers are letters.A beepbeep is one of those kiddie rides outside the grocery store in which every time you see one you want to sit in it and say "Beepbeep".A spank-a-ball is

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-75187010854276151752008-12-03T04:44:00.000-07:002008-12-03T04:58:16.588-07:00

What do you think?Color or black and white?

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-15568692311888870342008-11-16T12:57:00.000-07:002008-11-16T13:03:52.449-07:00

My parents are here visiting for two weeks.They are really enjoying themselves...

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-69789850806792339142008-11-14T12:45:00.000-07:002008-11-14T12:48:18.611-07:00

We got a picture for our Christmas cards this year. This was our second take. First time round we tried for an outside picture and it was a disaster. Haha. I thought we needed a set up that didn't give them so much space to roam and with fewer distractions. We ended up with them laying on my bed on a white sheet with the white wall behind them. I thought it turned out great.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-50531476314338791882008-11-10T03:40:00.000-07:002008-11-10T04:31:58.753-07:00

A few random pictures taken throughout October.Too cute not to share. :)*MORGAN**PAUL**JASON & PAUL**SETH**FROGS*IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-80912645198249413082008-11-05T06:24:00.000-07:002008-11-05T07:28:23.890-07:00

Just this morning Jason ate a breakfast of cereal around 8 o'clock. 9 o'clock saw a banana disappear. 10'clock brought a "I want food!" statement followed by a "You just ate. You can wait for lunch." reply.I dread to see what our grocery bill will look like when we have 4 teenage boys to feed. Already they will go through a whole 1lb package of spaghetti noodles in one meal...alone...just the

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-87650592653560445592008-10-31T14:29:00.000-06:002008-10-31T14:50:07.520-06:00

I took Seth and Jason down to the village hall for the dress-up fund raiser. They kind of stood out in the crowd. Not only were they the only ones not dressed in a Halloween themed costume, but they were also in very American costumes.Most original and the cutest...who can beat that!?!

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-89490795640245059552008-10-29T03:25:00.000-06:002008-10-29T03:39:40.441-06:00

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-88860432930398382302008-10-28T11:01:00.000-06:002008-10-28T11:18:11.241-06:00

.Seth - Mommy, do you know today is your birthday.Mommy - Yes, I do.Seth - Do you know how old you are?Mommy - How old?Seth - Un deg wyth! (28)Mommy - Really?Seth - Yes. You're old now.Mommy - Hmm. Thanks.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-50455448989786861482008-10-25T09:07:00.001-06:002008-10-25T09:16:02.090-06:00

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-53356141088646717552008-10-25T08:12:00.000-06:002008-10-25T08:51:46.476-06:00

People tell me to keep write these things down. They will be funny later. I don't believe it for a minute. These will never be funny, but I am keeping track. For when he is a grown man I can show him these lists and he will know how much he is indebted to me that he is still alive and breathing. Then he can pay me back with a nice tropical cruise or something. :)Besides, it is strangely

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-48627697169125272272008-10-25T03:55:00.000-06:002008-10-25T04:51:33.985-06:00

We've had a bit of a rough week. Now that the weather is cold and the house is closed up we are once again having problems with mold. I've mentioned that it affects 2 of our 4 littles (so far), but it also affects Caleb and I. Makes it hard to function and one of the first things to go is the ability to think clearly and remember things. :( ...makes my learning Welsh a nightmare. *sigh*We went to

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-65776955311675112502008-10-21T08:51:00.000-06:002008-10-21T12:27:17.084-06:00

.Wonderful. Handsome. Adorable. Boy.

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253337764301165823.post-32108234129538955732008-10-18T16:07:00.000-06:002008-10-18T21:58:27.053-06:00

With the Thanksgiving Service at school next week along with the Harvest Dinner at church I thought the timing perfect to do a bit of fall fun with the boys. Pumpkin carving. And given their fondness of knives, any activity involving knives is sure to be a big hit amongst the masses, right?This was a first for me so I schooled myself in the art of pumpkin carving via google. After cleaning the

Dawnnoreply@blogger.com7