As overheard at dinner on Friday night -
Yes Violet, you have tiny boobies.
And Madi has tiny boobies too.
And Nina has tiny boobies too.
Mommy has big boobies? Well, thank you Violet!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Sleepover!
*Disclaimer* Allergy season has hit with a vengeance in our house. So, the blogging has slacked. I am trying to get updates & photos from our recent (as in last month) adventures put on her. Thanks for the patience!
We have these great friends. They are the Palmers. They are on staff at our church. Mark married us. Jill and I have been prego together multiple times. Our kids are great buddies. They come to our house on Friday nights for bible study/game night/date night/harass the engaged couple. Jill writes an amazing blog that is hilarious & challenging, all at the same time.
There is only one problem. They don't get much time by themselves. It's not that they don't want dates. It's just that they are really busy, and dates can sometimes (ok, usually are) expensive to do on a regular basis.
But, awhile back, they had to go out. They had gotten a couple gifts that included an overnight stay at a local hotel, dinner, etc. And they had to use them. So, we got to have a...
SLEEPOVER!!!!
Just who, got to sleep over, you ask? Well, of course...
Is it wrong that I was so excited to have a dog sleep over? We have all missed having a dog since Maj died. We really are a dog family. But, alas, we can't have another one right now. Not until the fence is fixed, new fence is built to prevent what happened before, bills get paid, I am home again (not going to torture the nanny with a dog and my children. I love her.). Sorry babe, we have to live vicariously through our friends for the time being. And having Ranger spend the night was truly a joy. Seriously Jill, he was a blast. He is welcome to "spen na nite" anytime!
But, why in the world was Katrina making this face as we tucked the kiddos into bed that night?
And this face? Really child...
Oh yeah, maybe it was because this was the scene from the bottom bunk:
Madison and Kate are like sisters. They either adore or detest each other. They know each other's buttons, and push them just to get a rise. They are also fiercely loyal and loving to each other, when they want to be.
We have these great friends. They are the Palmers. They are on staff at our church. Mark married us. Jill and I have been prego together multiple times. Our kids are great buddies. They come to our house on Friday nights for bible study/game night/date night/harass the engaged couple. Jill writes an amazing blog that is hilarious & challenging, all at the same time.
There is only one problem. They don't get much time by themselves. It's not that they don't want dates. It's just that they are really busy, and dates can sometimes (ok, usually are) expensive to do on a regular basis.
But, awhile back, they had to go out. They had gotten a couple gifts that included an overnight stay at a local hotel, dinner, etc. And they had to use them. So, we got to have a...
SLEEPOVER!!!!
Just who, got to sleep over, you ask? Well, of course...
Is it wrong that I was so excited to have a dog sleep over? We have all missed having a dog since Maj died. We really are a dog family. But, alas, we can't have another one right now. Not until the fence is fixed, new fence is built to prevent what happened before, bills get paid, I am home again (not going to torture the nanny with a dog and my children. I love her.). Sorry babe, we have to live vicariously through our friends for the time being. And having Ranger spend the night was truly a joy. Seriously Jill, he was a blast. He is welcome to "spen na nite" anytime!
But, why in the world was Katrina making this face as we tucked the kiddos into bed that night?
And this face? Really child...
Oh yeah, maybe it was because this was the scene from the bottom bunk:
Madison and Kate are like sisters. They either adore or detest each other. They know each other's buttons, and push them just to get a rise. They are also fiercely loyal and loving to each other, when they want to be.
We spent two weeks counting down to this night. Madison was so excited. The only place she has spent the night, other than home, was at Grandma's. And she had never had a friend come for the night.
They played wonderfully during small group, and obediently got their pjs on and into bed when asked. We prayed with them, kissed them goodnight, turned off the light, and shut the door. And that's when the giggling started.
There is nothing sweeter than the sound of little giggles coming from little girlfriends. We started to get up to tell them to hush & go to sleep, then thought better of ourselves. What did we want their memories of their first sleepover to be?
So, the girls giggled and whispered for about an hour, then fell fast asleep. The next morning we made pancakes, and Kate informed me that it was weird to have chocolate chips in pancakes. She wanted hers plain.
Of course. Leave it to Kate.
All too soon, it was time for Kate to go home. We would love to have her and Ranger over again soon (hint, hint, Jill).
Friday, April 9, 2010
Budding Photographer
Katrina has discovered our camera.
I find it thoroughly entertaining to see the world through the eyes of a 6 year old.
And it makes me grateful for digital photography. I should probably go apologize to my mother for the fortune she surely spent developing all of my "artwork" when I was Katrina's age.
I find it thoroughly entertaining to see the world through the eyes of a 6 year old.
And it makes me grateful for digital photography. I should probably go apologize to my mother for the fortune she surely spent developing all of my "artwork" when I was Katrina's age.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Thankful Thursday: Precious Moments
Easter this year was bittersweet. For those of you who don't know, my grandma is not doing well. It seems like forever ago that we took this photo. It was Christmas morning, only 3 months. And yet so much has changed.
My grandma is simply amazing. She homesteaded with her husband to Monticello, UT, leaving everything she knew behind. She raised their children with a firm, but fun and fair hand. She helped her husband build a successful mining and ranching business. She was industrious, hard working, wise. But with an awesome sense of humor!
One year on April Fool's Day, she put cotton balls in the biscuits. Poor Grandpa fell for it, trying his best to eat Grandma's weird biscuits, not knowing that he had cotton hanging down his chin!
Since Christmas this year, her health has gone downhill. She is 95, and has lung & heart issues, but we didn't expect her to decline as fast as she has. We never know what kind of day it will be. Some days, like Sunday, she seems normal, herself. She talks to us, remembers what we are doing. Other days, it's like she isn't even there. There have been days that her caretakers (we have 24-hr live-in assistants for her) have a very difficult time waking her up. We also found out this week that her kidneys have begun to shut down.
Her body is simply done. And she is ready to go. Each time we have seen her lately, it is like she is trying to express to my kids how much she loves them, how proud she is of them. She is trying, in her way, to say goodbye. And it breaks my heart. I know Katrina will have precious memories of her Old Grandma, but I'm not so sure about Madi & Violet.
I have been in turmoil these past months. You see, after I accepted Christ, I tried to talk to her about it. But she was never willing to. I was able to talk to Grandpa before he died, when his mind was still there, for lack of a better phrase. That conversation reassured me that when my Poppa took his last earthly breaths, Jesus was waiting to greet him. But Grandma would never talk to me.
Jerome spent many nights holding me these past few weeks as I have sobbed, terrified. I had seen glimpses in the last year that perhaps, maybe, she had accepted Christ. But I honestly could not trust our conversations. Mentally, most of the time she is not there. So I never knew if it really was my grandma talking, or a delusion brought on by her illness.
Last Friday our church had a special worship service. It was amazing. Honestly, it felt so good to just be able to lay all of my burdens down and simply enjoy God's company. And that's what I was doing. I wasn't thinking about anything, wasn't worrying about anything. I was just being.
The worship team began to play this song. To hear it, make sure you mute the music at the bottom of the page first:
All of a sudden, God gave me a vision. He gave me a glimpse into Heaven. Please understand, I am not one to receive a vision on a regular basis. Maybe once or twice have I seen something in my mind that I have known was from Daddy. And this came so suddenly, from so far out in left field, that it could only be from Him.
I saw Heaven. I saw Jesus and my grandpa standing there, just talking. Grandpa had his thumbs hooked into the pockets of his jeans. And then they reached out for someone. It was my grandma. She had taken her last earthly breath, and was being welcomed by her husband and her Husband into eternity. It was so joyful, so peaceful. There the three of them stood, arm in arm, together. And then it was gone.
And then I heard my Daddy say to me, "Don't worry child. She is mine."
Needless to say, the rest of the evening was spent in tears, using the entire church stock of Kleenex. My Daddy cares enough about me to reassure me, to comfort me. When I hugged my grandma on Sunday night, it was peaceful, serene. I knew she was trying to say goodbye, but it was ok. I know when she takes her last breath here, with us, that she will be welcomed into eternity by the love of her life and the lover of her soul. And that is enough for me.
So you ask, what am I thankful for today? I am thankful for a grandma who taught me so much. Who loved me so much. I am thankful for a Savior who comforts and reassures. I am thankful for a life well-lived. I am thankful for a family that treasures every last moment with an amazing lady. And I am thankful for a promise.
My grandma is simply amazing. She homesteaded with her husband to Monticello, UT, leaving everything she knew behind. She raised their children with a firm, but fun and fair hand. She helped her husband build a successful mining and ranching business. She was industrious, hard working, wise. But with an awesome sense of humor!
One year on April Fool's Day, she put cotton balls in the biscuits. Poor Grandpa fell for it, trying his best to eat Grandma's weird biscuits, not knowing that he had cotton hanging down his chin!
Since Christmas this year, her health has gone downhill. She is 95, and has lung & heart issues, but we didn't expect her to decline as fast as she has. We never know what kind of day it will be. Some days, like Sunday, she seems normal, herself. She talks to us, remembers what we are doing. Other days, it's like she isn't even there. There have been days that her caretakers (we have 24-hr live-in assistants for her) have a very difficult time waking her up. We also found out this week that her kidneys have begun to shut down.
Her body is simply done. And she is ready to go. Each time we have seen her lately, it is like she is trying to express to my kids how much she loves them, how proud she is of them. She is trying, in her way, to say goodbye. And it breaks my heart. I know Katrina will have precious memories of her Old Grandma, but I'm not so sure about Madi & Violet.
I have been in turmoil these past months. You see, after I accepted Christ, I tried to talk to her about it. But she was never willing to. I was able to talk to Grandpa before he died, when his mind was still there, for lack of a better phrase. That conversation reassured me that when my Poppa took his last earthly breaths, Jesus was waiting to greet him. But Grandma would never talk to me.
Jerome spent many nights holding me these past few weeks as I have sobbed, terrified. I had seen glimpses in the last year that perhaps, maybe, she had accepted Christ. But I honestly could not trust our conversations. Mentally, most of the time she is not there. So I never knew if it really was my grandma talking, or a delusion brought on by her illness.
Last Friday our church had a special worship service. It was amazing. Honestly, it felt so good to just be able to lay all of my burdens down and simply enjoy God's company. And that's what I was doing. I wasn't thinking about anything, wasn't worrying about anything. I was just being.
The worship team began to play this song. To hear it, make sure you mute the music at the bottom of the page first:
All of a sudden, God gave me a vision. He gave me a glimpse into Heaven. Please understand, I am not one to receive a vision on a regular basis. Maybe once or twice have I seen something in my mind that I have known was from Daddy. And this came so suddenly, from so far out in left field, that it could only be from Him.
I saw Heaven. I saw Jesus and my grandpa standing there, just talking. Grandpa had his thumbs hooked into the pockets of his jeans. And then they reached out for someone. It was my grandma. She had taken her last earthly breath, and was being welcomed by her husband and her Husband into eternity. It was so joyful, so peaceful. There the three of them stood, arm in arm, together. And then it was gone.
And then I heard my Daddy say to me, "Don't worry child. She is mine."
Needless to say, the rest of the evening was spent in tears, using the entire church stock of Kleenex. My Daddy cares enough about me to reassure me, to comfort me. When I hugged my grandma on Sunday night, it was peaceful, serene. I knew she was trying to say goodbye, but it was ok. I know when she takes her last breath here, with us, that she will be welcomed into eternity by the love of her life and the lover of her soul. And that is enough for me.
So you ask, what am I thankful for today? I am thankful for a grandma who taught me so much. Who loved me so much. I am thankful for a Savior who comforts and reassures. I am thankful for a life well-lived. I am thankful for a family that treasures every last moment with an amazing lady. And I am thankful for a promise.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Betcha didn't think I could top yesterday's post!
Oh, but I can!
The wind has been terrible here the last few days. The dust, pollen, and other allergens have been whipping around like crazy. And with the allergy/lung/asthma issues in our house, that is not a good combination.
Well, we have all been miserable. So, last night, we decided to throw everyone in the shower/bath before bed, just to get all the yuck off so that hopefully we could have a better night's sleep.
Katrina is big enough to take a shower by herself, which she loves. So, after filling up the tub for the little bits, we sent the big girl to take her shower.
Jerome & I were in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner when we heard that horrible phrase...
"Mommy, Violet pooped in the bathtub!"
Seriously? We looked at each other, mentally gauging which of us was going to be blessed with the joy of clean up duty. We entered the bathroom to the sight of Madi calmly informing us of the nastiness (had it been Katrina in the tub, there would have been screaming, crying, and/or climbing of walls). Violet was in the tub, surrounded by her evidence, not bothered in the least. I think she actually enjoyed the fact that she bothered her sister.
Well, by this time the big-un was out of the shower, and investigating the situation. Her thoughts were, "Mom, I am so glad I took a shower!" So am I, sweetie. So am I.
The benefit to having all girls is that when this happens, I get to be the one to take them into our bathroom for a detoxifying shower. That means Jerome gets to clean out the tub. He was already gagging by the time I had the girls in the shower.
Madison screamed through the first half of the shower. She HATES water on her face, and that pretty much defines a shower. Violet laughed at her. Sometimes I wonder if she does stuff like this on purpose just to torture the dramatic big sister.
About halfway through, Madison realized that her skin was not going to fall off, and the end of the world was not imminent. She actually started to enjoy herself. But, right before we got out, she grabbed little sis by the shoulders, looked straight into her eyes, and admonished her seriously by saying, ...
..."Violet, don't ever do that again!"
Chalk another one up to only my children!
The wind has been terrible here the last few days. The dust, pollen, and other allergens have been whipping around like crazy. And with the allergy/lung/asthma issues in our house, that is not a good combination.
Well, we have all been miserable. So, last night, we decided to throw everyone in the shower/bath before bed, just to get all the yuck off so that hopefully we could have a better night's sleep.
Katrina is big enough to take a shower by herself, which she loves. So, after filling up the tub for the little bits, we sent the big girl to take her shower.
Jerome & I were in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner when we heard that horrible phrase...
"Mommy, Violet pooped in the bathtub!"
Seriously? We looked at each other, mentally gauging which of us was going to be blessed with the joy of clean up duty. We entered the bathroom to the sight of Madi calmly informing us of the nastiness (had it been Katrina in the tub, there would have been screaming, crying, and/or climbing of walls). Violet was in the tub, surrounded by her evidence, not bothered in the least. I think she actually enjoyed the fact that she bothered her sister.
Well, by this time the big-un was out of the shower, and investigating the situation. Her thoughts were, "Mom, I am so glad I took a shower!" So am I, sweetie. So am I.
The benefit to having all girls is that when this happens, I get to be the one to take them into our bathroom for a detoxifying shower. That means Jerome gets to clean out the tub. He was already gagging by the time I had the girls in the shower.
Madison screamed through the first half of the shower. She HATES water on her face, and that pretty much defines a shower. Violet laughed at her. Sometimes I wonder if she does stuff like this on purpose just to torture the dramatic big sister.
About halfway through, Madison realized that her skin was not going to fall off, and the end of the world was not imminent. She actually started to enjoy herself. But, right before we got out, she grabbed little sis by the shoulders, looked straight into her eyes, and admonished her seriously by saying, ...
..."Violet, don't ever do that again!"
Chalk another one up to only my children!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
True Story Tuesday - I wish I could make this stuff up...
If you have been around my blog for any length of time (say, longer than a minute) you know one important fact about our family. It revolves around poop.
*Spoiler warning* - If you are squeamish in any way, stop reading RIGHT NOW! I will not be held responsible for puke on your computer screen.
*Ahem* Anyways... you all know that with our children, just about any story worth anything will somehow come back to poop. After all, we spent one month and a lot of money to figure out that Katrina was constipated. And really, who can forget Madison's incident with the toilet and a certain cape? And, of course, the mother of all poop stories, brought to you by our very own Violet.
Well, we have a new one. And it certainly qualifies for the True Story Tuesday bit because, really, I still can't figure out how she did it.
Sunday night we put the wild monkeys to bed after their sugar-induced comas hit. We were sitting in the living room with Jerome's parents, just chatting. The girls had all been asleep for about 45 minutes when we heard Katrina & Madi's door open. We just figured Nina had to go potty, so we didn't think anything of it. Until Madi came in the living room. Half asleep. With poop from fingertip to elbow, both hands.
Needless to say, the necessary bath woke her up pretty fast. But, there was no poop in her pull-up, no poop in her bed, no poop on the floor. Really, the only poop was on her hands. Needless to say, Grandma & Pepe beat a hasty retreat at the sight, leaving Daddy & I to solve the mysterious poop appearance.
The only thing I can figure is this. She was asleep. In her sleep, she started to poop. In her sleep, she realized there was something on her chubs, but didn't realize just what it was. So she reached back there to grab it. And smeared poop.
Other than that, I have no idea how it got there. But really, who is surprised? Not me. I just chalked it up to another Bleger poop adventure.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Want a new camera?
Yeah, so do I.
I read a few *ahem* blogs, one of which is MckMama's. This morning, on her Twitter, she mentioned a giveaway for a Nikon D40 that one of her blog friends is doing. I jumped over to Unexpected Bliss, expecting to leave a comment and go about my day.
What I found instead was a church family moment.
This sweet woman (who I just "met" reading her blog this morning) bared her soul. Their family is going through a very difficult time, financially, mentally, physically. It is to the point where she had to work yesterday, Easter, to try to pay some of her medical bills. She missed Easter with her boys.
That just broke my heart. She had set up a P*ypal donate account, because after she told her followers what was going on, they insisted on having a way to help. But then she stayed up all night, feeling guilty over strangers giving money to her family. She realized that she has a D40 she has barely used because of the situation. She has taken maybe 60 pictures on it. So, she is giving it away, to say thank you.
You can leave a comment on her post here to get an entry into the giveaway. If you post on your blog about the giveaway, that's another entry. If you choose and are able, you can click on the Donate Now button on the left sidebar of her blog. A $5 donation will get you 5 entries, $10 will get you 10.
Our pastor's wife Linn recently posted on her blog about Crazy Love. The idea is that we, as brothers and sisters, can meet the needs we see around us with a crazy love. That we love so much we are compelled to help. I have to tell you, that idea has been stirring in my heart. I always go back to Matthew 25:35, which says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in".
Now, please understand something. We are by no means rich. We are barely making ends meet right now, like so many. Some months, we don't. But, that does not excuse us from seeing the needs around us, from obeying God when He says to do something about it.
The contest is open until Tuesday night. Please go over to her page and leave a word of encouragement for her. It takes a lot of nerve to share so openly. I wish we all, myself included, were that honest.
I read a few *ahem* blogs, one of which is MckMama's. This morning, on her Twitter, she mentioned a giveaway for a Nikon D40 that one of her blog friends is doing. I jumped over to Unexpected Bliss, expecting to leave a comment and go about my day.
What I found instead was a church family moment.
This sweet woman (who I just "met" reading her blog this morning) bared her soul. Their family is going through a very difficult time, financially, mentally, physically. It is to the point where she had to work yesterday, Easter, to try to pay some of her medical bills. She missed Easter with her boys.
That just broke my heart. She had set up a P*ypal donate account, because after she told her followers what was going on, they insisted on having a way to help. But then she stayed up all night, feeling guilty over strangers giving money to her family. She realized that she has a D40 she has barely used because of the situation. She has taken maybe 60 pictures on it. So, she is giving it away, to say thank you.
You can leave a comment on her post here to get an entry into the giveaway. If you post on your blog about the giveaway, that's another entry. If you choose and are able, you can click on the Donate Now button on the left sidebar of her blog. A $5 donation will get you 5 entries, $10 will get you 10.
Our pastor's wife Linn recently posted on her blog about Crazy Love. The idea is that we, as brothers and sisters, can meet the needs we see around us with a crazy love. That we love so much we are compelled to help. I have to tell you, that idea has been stirring in my heart. I always go back to Matthew 25:35, which says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in".
Now, please understand something. We are by no means rich. We are barely making ends meet right now, like so many. Some months, we don't. But, that does not excuse us from seeing the needs around us, from obeying God when He says to do something about it.
The contest is open until Tuesday night. Please go over to her page and leave a word of encouragement for her. It takes a lot of nerve to share so openly. I wish we all, myself included, were that honest.
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