Happy Father's Day!

fa-ther - n., v., 1. a man who gives paternal care to others; protector or provider. 2. to perform the tasks or duties of a male parent; act paternally.

God certainly knew what I needed when He chose this man to be my lifelong companion. He knew that I needed someone who would love me so much that I couldn't help but desire His Will to trust in Him in His plan for us & this family He's given us to care for. Never would I have imagined myself with 4 children and one on the way, but with a spouse and a family to support it, how could I envision it any better? Life truly is a gift and how much more special it is when you are blessed with someone who helps you see that more and more everyday.

So on this Father's Day, I send out my blessings and thanks to the dad's in our lives, to my husband, who is way more than I could have ever asked for as a parent to our children, to the father-figures who guide us and protect us just because it's in their nature, and most of all, to our Heavenly Father, who teaches us by perfect example, what it is to fully love, sacrifice & protect us no matter what we do or don't do because we are His children forever.

#2

With the kids home from school now for the past month for the summer, there have been plenty of patience-building opportunities. I keep trying to remind myself to enjoy the time they are home & try to work harder at making their summer fun & memorable while still attempting to have some of their "school brain" still intact by August. So far, it's been just lots of playing with friends and trips to the library & parks, filled in by the schedule of Jason's baseball games.

Today I had to make up a batch of play-doh in hopes that it would distract them enough to quit fighting as well as quit asking to watch TV...it was raining all morning. It worked wonderfully, but now there's the trail of stuff around the dining room that will most likely need to get cleaned up by yours truly since I kicked them outside after lunch since the rain has stopped.

Also since they are home more comes more opportunities for stories for the blog. Here's one the neighbor shared with me the other day... The girls were playing with the girls next door who happen to be the exact same ages. They asked to make their entryway into a playhouse & so she cleaned it up for them & brought in a little kitchenette & some little chairs for them to play with.

After a while, she happened to walk through and noticed a bucket sitting in there & in the bucket was some yellow liquid. "What's that?", she asked. "That's our bathroom! We're not afraid to go in front of each other", they replied. Somewhat appalled and partly relieved that her youngest had at least used a bucket, since recently she has been "too busy" to take the time to go to the bathroom & just goes where she is playing.

So a little while later, she comes back through and then notices some brown stuff in the bucket. Not to mention some used toilet paper thrown out into the lawn. The line was drawn & playhouse time was over and the girls had to be talked to as well as clean up their waste in the yard. She was especially concerned at where they were dumping their "bathroom." So, we had a good laugh about it while also being grossed out. Ah, the joys of imaginative playtime! I should also mention that it was my little Faith that contributed #2 to the bucket. I don't know if I would have thought it quite as amusing if it was in my house. My neighbor definitely has more patience than I do in that area!

Catching up

Here are some pictures of the girls' dance recital last month. This was Laney's 4th year and Faith's 2nd year. It is really fun to watch them and see how much they have learned all of these past months at practice.

Laney in action

Faith is 2nd from the left. Her cousin, Elena, is the one on the end on the right.

Ms. Ann, the dance teacher

The Minneota Dance Class

VBS 2011 - Yes, it was a busy week!!

I think we've all finally recovered...

VBS

So, this week's a little busy so I won't be posting any pictures about all that went on last week. That will come later. Since yesterday, my mornings have been spent with over 100 children from the community (along with many volunteers I should add) for our annual vacation bible school. It's definitely keeping me busy and as great as it is, I will be relieved when the week is over. It will then be my chance to really relax and start to enjoy the summer...hopefully!

Whoa, a month of no posting!! Sorry about that! In my defense, the last 6 weeks have not been fully pleasant for this stomach of mine & much of that time was spent on the couch with a puke bucket in the near vicinity. Jason had a full taste of the "in sickness and in health" marriage vow and I pray that we never have to go through that in a non-pregnancy related way. Yes, it bites to be sick, but at least I know that it's not because I'm fighting a disease, although I did at a point feel quite worthless that I could do nothing but ask to be waited on & watch as my family went about their day without a speck of help from me.

So, for the most part, I am getting over "the nasties" and am beginning to enjoy letting my belly hang out so I actually look pregnant and not just out of shape. I am soon to need to venture to go shopping to purchase clothes that suit the weather and my changing shape, but I am hoping that the weather cooperates soon so I can just get summer clothes for now.

Jason is underway for baseball, and has already it a homer. Despite the team having a losing record so far, they are still enjoying their time together and hope that the season record will improve. Now that the kids are done with school, it will be easier to make excuses to stay out a little later...at least until the mosquitos come out in full force!

AJ participated in his First Communion this month & Faith officially "graduated" from preschool. She will be attending the (hopefully) new kindergarten class of St. Edward's in the fall & we are all excited that they will all be in the same school next year!

Oh baby

So not only am I carrying a baby, but I feel like one with all of the eating, sleeping, frequent trips to go potty and don't forget the puking, crying and whining when my tummy hurts. I have no favorites on food yet, just whatever doesn't make me queasy from the smell or feel like yacking when I eat it. FYI...it's no longer beef jerky and OJ. The smell of jerky turns my stomach right now & OJ makes it burn. I am excited to say that I tried acupuncture a couple of times and both times I have felt almost normal the next day or two. Unfortunately, this last time the nausea returned with avengence. I might have to find out how often I can actually do it! Thankfully, I have been blessed with a wonderful husband to has been working tirelessly to take care of me and all of the duties that I have not been able to keep up with. This might be the time that he earns his right to sleep through the night when the baby comes and I get up to feed...maybe we'll get one that sleeps well right away this time. Here's hoping anyways!!!

Beef jerky & orange juice

THIS IS A TEST...

No, this is not a test of the Emergency Broadcast System, nor is it some sort of contraption that you stick into your computer USB port, but it IS a test.

What does this have to do with beef jerky & OJ? Well, as of last week, these are the only 2 things that seem to tame down my "all day" morning sickness. What was that?! Yes, morning sickness! And what causes morning sickness, other than hormones and a growing baby? For me, it's just that.

I might have known this a few weeks earlier, but my basal temperature thermometer was reading incorrectly & I was starting to wonder if I had some health issues I would need to see a doctor for. Thankfully, with this little test, I discovered that everything with me is perfectly fine and that the only thing that is broken is my thermometer. So, I'll still visit the doctor sometime soon, but for all good reasons. If my calculations are correct, we should be welcoming our newest little Myhre into the world sometime around mid-November. Hopefully I won't have to eat jerky the entire time...