Noah's Baby Blessing

This past weekend, for Father's Day, we loaded up the kids and headed to Richmond, VA to be with Brian's sister Rachel and her family as they blessed little 

Noah John Baldwin

Lizzie was very excited to see her cousins.  She was very good during the seven hour car ride as we kept promising her there would be cousins at the end of it.

The kids were also able to see Grandma and Grandpa Hunter.  

Here is Grandma with all of the kids!!

I just love this picture with Grandma, Hunter and Noah.

And finally mother and son.

We had a great time being with the family.  It is so nice that we are close enough to be able to drive down for things like this.  We were sad to have to leave right after dinner, just as Chris and Emily were arriving.  But it was another long drive back, and Brian had to go to work the next day.

Outdoor Fun

Well the weather here hasn't been great most days but we still try to get out and play when we can.  I just thought that I would share a few pictures of the kids having fun outside.

Some very kind people have given us the sand box and the slide.  

(If you haven't heard of freecycle you should check it out.  It is different Yahoo! groups where you can post things that you are about to throw out and see if anyone else in your area could use them.  We have really enjoyed being able to find new homes for things we no longer need, and to make a good home for things that others no longer need.  Okay, okay, back to the kids.) 

It is so nice to have things for the kids to play with in the backyard.  Otherwise they don't stay back there very long and we have to go to a park.

It is amazing home much the kids love to play on this slide even though it isn't much taller then they are, the climbing parts on the sides really help.

Memorial day was also a nice day and so we went to a farm about 45 minutes away.  I have a post on it that most of you probably missed since it took me four weeks to get it up so it is after my crazy day posts.   There favorite part was a Corn Box, so I thought that I would add a picture of that here, too.

 I didn't realize when I did it that there was a movie.  It is a little boring but fun.

Baby Birds

One of the things that I love about where we live is all of the wild animals wondering around.  A month, or so, ago we found that we had a bird's nest in a tree/bush right below our kitchen window.  We later found that there were three little baby birds in the nest.   I loved to hear then chirp away as their parent would bring back food for them.  When they were still very little we could move the tree and get them to chirp and open their mouths for the food.

Then as they grew we could see them over the edge of the nest.

This is the best video that I got where you can hear them chirping away.  In the mornings and evenings I could hear them as I was in the kitchen cooking or cleaning up.  I love it so much.

I was so excited to watch the little birds get pushed out of the nest, and start their own life.  One morning, however, I didn't hear their chirping.  I ran out it the pouring rain to check the nest and it was empty.  The birds had left the nest and I had missed it.  I was very sad.  I still miss hearing their happy chirping each morning and evening.  I even sometimes think that I can still hear them outside, but they are no longer in the nest and it just isn't quite the same.

It has reminded me that all babies some day must leave the nest, no matter how sad it is to parents and others nearby.   The time with my kids at home may seem like an eternity, until they also will have to leave the nest, then it will seem so short.  

I hope I can make the best of the time I have with them, so that short time will be filled with fun and joy!!!!  

I will not miss my kids leaving the nest, I will be there for them!!!

Another Exciting Day

Well it seems as though Kamber is right days like Wednesday don't usually happen two days in a row.  

Thursday was a good day!!!  I got my project as done as I can for now.  We had fun at a park even though it was wet.  The kids were in a good mood most of the day.  And nothing to terrible happened. 

Today, however, was another exciting one.  At least more excitement then I would have liked.  To start with Jamie has a big ugly rash on his leg from where he got some shots on Wednesday, which Brian did notice last night.  We got to call the doctor this morning to find out that he might have to go on antibiotics because some bacteria got under the skin when the shots were given.  We went in to see the doctor in the afternoon and we still don't know if that is the problem or just a reaction to the shot.  Such fun.  It is looking better though, so we think he will survive.

However, that is not all.  This morning I went to put in a load of wash and noticed that the floor was wet over by the washing machine, but didn't think much of it.  After the wash was done I went to get it out and the floor was very wet.  The door was also locked so I can't even get the clothes out.  I did take some pictures this time.  Yea, there is water on the floor.

After getting the kids down for their naps I started to clean up the water and filled up my bucket with dirty water.  I was unsure if this was a pipe problem or if it was coming through the walls as we have had a lot of rain the last few days.  I figured the best way to dispose of this dirty water was to flush it down the toilet.  Bad Idea.  Just after doing so I could hear water gusting out downstairs.  The water was right back where it had been before.  I figured out that the water isn't leaving my house as it ought to.  Brian did get to come home early to help with the mess.  He called a plumber to come, however, since it was getting late and the plumber had another job with water raining down from the ceiling, we can't send water down our pipes for the night.

Tonight we also had the missionaries over to eat.  That went well and the house was even kind of clean since we stopped knowing what to do about the flood in our basement.  Except for the bad lime juice that made it's way into the guacamole.  I hope that we don't all get sick.  They mention how they broke a mirror and one of their neighbors said they had to throw it in the river quickly, so that the evil spirits would not get out.  It made me remember that I broke a mirror about two weeks ago,  I looks like I might have 6 years, 11 months and 2 weeks left of bad luck to get through.  If so I will be a lot more cautious about braking mirrors.

My Day!!!

Today started by waking up at 8:15 and realizing that we had to get out the door in just over an hour for Jamie's doctor's appointment.  When checking on the kids I saw that Jamie was awake so I took him downstairs to get breakfast ready.  When breakfast was ready I went back for Lizzie who was awake but not sure she wanted to get up yet. After breakfast we got dressed and to the doctor in time.  The doctor gave Jamie four shots, which made him cry of course, but he got over it quickly.

Afterwards we went to do some shopping.  When I went to get the kids out of the cart, after being in our second store, I noticed Lizzie, who had been in the back of the cart, was holding an open packet of that stuff that comes in food or shoes that says "Do Not Eat".  I asked her if she had been eating it?  In not my nicest voice as I started to panic.  To which she said yes and started to wail.  I hurried and got the kids in the car then got on my cell phone calling Brian and then a nurse line and finally poison control standing outside of the car, with her crying and wailing inside the car.  During one of the phone calls I even found that she still had a piece of the gel stuff in her mouth.  She was so sad to have it taken away and I'm guessing scared, by how scared I was.  This was the first time that I have found my kids eating something that I thought might really be able to hurt them.  The nurse was helping me to find a ER to take her to, but thankfully I called Poison Control first.  I like Poison Control.  After explaining what happened, the guy on the phone asked how long ago it had happened? (15 minutes or so) and if she was coughing or choking?  and when I said no he said that she was just fine then, and that the stuff wouldn't actually hurt her.  Those little packets draw out moisture, not oxygen as I had thought.  I was then able to comfort Lizzie and let her know that what she ate wouldn't actually make her sick.  It still took her a while to calm down as we drove home though.

Once home there was lunch and a failed attempt at nap time.  In which I hoped to finish a project that I was working on.  So the kids were up again and ready to play.  As I was still working on my project the play involved standing on the coffee table, right on the glass part, and playing in the curtains.  Thankfully nothing to terrible happened.  Then I decided that they had to get out of the house and we went for our daily afternoon walk.  After our walk, we played in the backyard and I saw the little birds still in their nest.  (More on this later.)  Then to a very unorganized dinner, as Brian is off running in the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge and I was trying to get some more work done on my project, which is still not done.  

I then started to get them ready for bed and after changing Jamie's diaper I decided to try and take off his Band-aids.  I took one off just a bit and he started to cry, so I stopped.  he just kept scratching at it and acting like he wanted it off, so I took off his band-aids as he cried and wailed.  I figured that after I stopped he would be fine again, but no such luck.  He cried as we got ready for bed and most of the time brushing teeth.  Lizzie also decided that she had an oowwy and needed to cry with him most of this time.  He did calm down and play puzzles with his sister so that I could read scriptures and say prayers.    I was so happy to put him in bed, even though he cried again, he soon fell asleep.   Now it is quite and maybe I can get my project done before Brian gets home and sends me to bed.