It's not that bad.

PTSD

2012-01-22T23:51:00.001-06:00

We survived last week's subzero temps! No surprise there--I really think I've completely adjusted to living so far north. I ran errands on a day last week with a -15 temperature and it didn't make me want to cry! Ha!

Also last week we had some issues with a frozen septic line and water/sewage in the basement of our loaner house. Dan and I smelled something disgusting about 9 p.m. one night and upon discovering the water in the basement we started moving things upstairs. Not much is down there, just some odds and ends we don't have room for upstairs, but when Dan started directing me to take certain things upstairs I was immediately transported to those awful days last summer when we had to evacuate in a hurry. It's so funny how a person processes such events--I haven't given a second thought to the details of either of the evacuation days since we lived through them and then BAM! Out of nowhere there they are, staring me in the face.

The days surrounding the evacuations and subsequent flood are one big blur to me now. I think I held it together pretty well--with the exception of one big ugly cry in the master closet when no one (i hope) was around. The kids had a lot to do with that, as did the facts that we were living with another family and I could see the situation aging my husband before my very eyes.

So I deal with it in bits and pieces, even 7 months later. Better late than never, right?

January in North Dakota

2012-01-14T10:42:00.001-06:00

Rest assured, the winds of change are bringing good news, but will have absolutely nothing to do with another offspring. ;)

There are lots of subzero temps in our 10-day forecast. We've been spoiled with unusually warm weather so far this winter. We've had warm temperatures and very little snow; in fact, this winter has felt a lot like a Missouri winter (minus the ice) and that's okay with me! But alas, this IS North Dakota so some ungodly temps are to be expected, especially in January.

Winds of Change

2012-01-12T00:29:00.001-06:00

The winds of change are beginning to blow around these parts. (Not that wind is anything new on the northern plains, but you know.) At the risk of being labeled a tease I won't divulge any other information--it will be better if I wait until I have the whole story to tell. It'll make more sense then and I hope you can forgive me for being a tease!

In the meantime, I'll leave you with more super hero pictures. There have been many hours of dress up played since Christmas and I tell ya, it just doesn't get old. I love those big imaginations!

Happy 3rd birthday, Sassy Pants!

2012-01-07T08:45:00.000-06:00

Peace in 2012

2012-01-02T17:19:00.002-06:00

I've been thinking for a few days about one word I'd like to assign 2012 (instead of making resolutions). The result is the word PEACE and is perfectly illustrated by the following quote from this book :

Wherever you are in this journey called life, wherever you may be employed, wherever you may be in your domestic situation, wherever you may be in your age, your health or your lifestyle, God may be preparing YOU for a great surprise in order to find you faithful. Rather than running from Him, run towards Him. And rather than looking for someone to blame for the pain that you're now enduring or the change that's on the horizon, look heavenward and realize that this arrangement is sovereignty put together for your good and for His glory. ~Charles Swindoll.

I came across this quote on Mountain Mama's blog and thought it very fitting for where my family and I are at right now. I had planned on doing a year end review post on 2011 but found that I didn't want to relive the details of this summer that much.

I'm looking forward to a year of peace, no matter our circumstances.

Post-holiday crime?

2011-12-27T11:56:00.002-06:00

Never fear! Batman and Robin are on the scene!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T15:26:00.002-06:00

6 months

2011-12-18T15:18:00.005-06:00

It's been 6 months since the flood and this article from the Los Angeles Times does a good job describing the struggles still being faced by thousands.

The Christmas Cage

2011-12-17T10:16:00.000-06:00

Christmas is a fun time, especially with punks around. Sometimes extra measures must be taken to protect the decorations from curious little hands...hence "the cage."

Here are some pictures of Ben enjoying our Christmas tree on his birthday last week. I'm afraid this little fellow is going to follow in his sister's very mischievous footsteps!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T00:00:00.000-06:00

The Flood: before and after

2011-12-10T11:43:00.002-06:00

Our home, a couple of days before the flood:

When the water went down almost a month later:

Ben's 1st birthday

2011-12-07T19:30:00.002-06:00

From this...

...to this. Happy birthday, sweet Benjamin!

A long overdue update

2011-12-02T09:10:00.007-06:00

A lot has happened since I last posted in July. Please forgive my silence; the flood and the aftermath brought much chaos and rendered me speechless.

The river that flooded our house in June has gone down and the city of Minot has begun (began?) rebuilding. It will be several years before it's like what it was pre-flood. The flood zones look more like war zones.

As for our family, we are currently living in a house owned by Dan's employer (NDSU) and for that we are grateful. We have friends living in FEMA trailers and they are every bit as small as they look like on tv! We are thankful the station house was vacant when we needed a place to live. It has a big yard the kids have enjoyed and the house is comfortable. It has a 2-car garage...yay for not having to scrape ice in the mornings! We have been told we can stay here as long as we need to.

Dan gutted our flooded house as soon as the water receded in July with the help of a few friends and his dad. He worked from sun up to sun down 10 days straight. It was a disgusting and emotional job, one that the effects of still linger. (I'll post pictures of our flooded house eventually, but for now I'll leave you with the more cheerful pictures we had taken in September. :)

The city has been releasing different versions of flood protection plans, the most recent being revealed just a couple of days ago. The latest version does not include our house in a government buyout program, and that has thrown us a bit. Our house is close to the river and we had assumed (wrongly, perhaps) that it would be included in such a program. If you think of it, will you pray for this situation? Prices for everything in Minot were high before the flood but have increased even more since. At this point we cannot afford to rebuild or buy another home in town and we're not sure what the future holds there. (One more reason to be thankful for a house to live in right now!)

This summer and fall we had to come up with new ideas for entertaining ourselves as our favorite parks and zoo had been flooded. The kids enjoyed the sprinkler and kiddie pool in the yard, as well as popsicles, bike riding, tree climbing, and exploring in general.

In August Dan had to attend a work meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii...bummer right?! As luck would have it I got to tag along and it was the most relaxing trip ever. My mom came to stay with the kids so we got to travel punk-free! The trip had been planned several months before the flood but I think the good Lord knew ahead of time what kind of summer we were going to have and that we would need a break from reality come August!

In September we had visits from Dan's mom and my youngest brother and his wife. We had family pictures taken, we ate sweet corn all month long, and we took a road trip to the Black Hills in South Dakota as a family. We saw Mt. Rushmore, stayed in a cabin, visited Reptile Gardens and Bear Country, USA, and discovered a Sonic in Rapid City. It was a great trip and only an 8 hour drive from Minot!

For Thanksgiving I traveled back to Missouri by myself to be with my mom after a surgery she had. Dan, his dad, and a sister were on hand in North Dakota to stay with the punks and all had a good time.

Luke went back to preschool in September and is doing well. He's such a social thing and so smart. I often wish preschool was more than 2 mornings a week because Luke has tons of energy and it's rare that my energy level matches his!

Chloe is as sassy as ever. That girl keeps me on my toes in more ways than one, but despite her mischievousness she can be very sweet. She takes care of Ben and gives hugs and kisses freely...you know, when she's not fishing in the toilet and coloring on the walls.

Ben is still the sweetest baby on the planet and growing so fast! His first birthday is next week and he's developing quite the personality. He still seems to be laid back but it's interesting to watch him insert himself into games the big kids are playing and the reactions he gets from his older siblings.

So what's new with you?

Still here!

2011-11-30T19:20:00.001-06:00

We're still here...new post coming soon!

I don't really know what to say.

2011-07-02T17:39:00.002-05:00

Our house is flooded and that makes me feel a lot of things. We were able to get all of our belongings out before the river overtook the house, but there's still something unnerving about seeing your house on the news, mostly submerged in muddy river water.

We were in no immediate danger either time we had to evacuate, but there's something traumatic about being forced from your home by an out of control river. Seeing your entire neighborhood drive by with couches, stoves, and furnaces, among other things is also disturbing.

What's even more disturbing is what will be waiting for us when the river goes down enough for us to get back in there. I prefer not to think about that.

A few things I'm sure of:

*We are being well taken care of by sweet friends and our loving church family.

*We have long term housing lined up and for that, I'm greatful.

*After the initial trauma was over and the 24/7 news coverage ended the kids have calmed down considerably.

*We won't be living in the house down by the river ever again. Even if we're able to restore it back to its original state (or better) I just can't do it. The last month or so living there the river rose considerably and it was literally staring me in the face all day long. I had trouble sleeping and had developed a lovely case of hives because of all the river-induced stress.

*We aren't the only ones in this situation. Far from it actually: over 4000 homes in Minot are under water.

So yeah. I should be chronicling these events in our lives better than I have been because someday we'll be able to tell the kids that we lived through this. We'll even be able to look back on all of this and see God in it.

That's our house.

2011-06-27T00:21:00.000-05:00

Catastrophy

2011-06-22T23:36:00.003-05:00

I don't have many words right now, friends. Minot is flooding and we have evacuated our home.

We had to evaucate our home for the first time on May 31. We were out for 10 days and then allowed to go home. On June 20 we were ordered to evacuate again (along with 11,000 other residents of Minot living in the Mouse river valley). This time the flooding is much more serious and there is no doubt that our home will suffer major water damage.

We had enough warning to get all of our belongings out and to higher ground and for that we are thankful. Our family is safe and dry and staying with the same family we stayed with the first time we had to leave.

Blogger is being ridiculous so I'm not able to link to any of the news stories about all this, but if you've been watching the national news you've probably seen what's going on. You could also google "Minot flood" and read about it there.

Your prayers are appreciated. All of Minot needs them.

Evacuation: Day 4

2011-06-04T11:27:00.002-05:00

Day 4 as evacuees and we're hanging in there. The river has crested and so far the levees have held, which means that our house is dry! We have wonderful friends who have offered their spare room for as long as we need it, and it's looking like it'll be awhile before we'll be allowed to go back. The river is expected to be high for the entire month of June and we want to avoid having to leave in a hurry again.

In the meantime, I'm trying to keep the kids from destroying our friends' house and traumatizing their cat. Poor Muffy needs some kitty body armour!

I'm trying to keep the kids' schedule as close to what it was at home as possible, but that's proving more difficult than I thought. Chloe seems to be acting out more than Luke and has said a few times that she wants to go home. She has a hard time settling down for naps and bedtime. The boys seem to be handling the situation pretty well, all things considered.

So we wait for the river to go down enough that a rain event wouldn't cause an evacuation again.

Evacuation Station

2011-05-31T23:01:00.003-05:00

You know, when I woke up this morning I had no idea I'd be at a friend's house tonight. I had no freaking clue that at noon the city would hold a press conference and declare mandatory evacuations for the area we live in and that by 3 we would be moving stuff out of our house to avoid water damage.

This has been a long and very unexpected day.

We are so thankful for friends who helped us move everything from our basement and first floor either up to the second floor or out completely. We're thankful for Dan's work for letting us store our belongings in an extra space. We're thankful for friends who are letting us and the punks crash at their house. We don't know how long we'll be here.

The river is forecast to cross the dikes tonight and crest Thursday. We're expecting more rain Thursday and Friday as well and that's not good for the situation.

More than 10,000 people in Minot are affected by the evacuations and many are going to lose their homes and everything in them.

Please pray for Minot, friends.

Is it bedtime yet?

2011-05-28T21:47:00.003-05:00

More flooding is expected after rain this weekend and more releases from a dam up river. A city sewer main collapsed in town today as well, so we've plugged the drains in the basement as a precaution against a sewage back up. (GROSS!!)

It was a long winter with record snowfall and it's been a dreary spring with cooler than normal temps, lots of rain, and flooding. I'm not liking Minot so much right now.

The youngest punks are both teething. The oldest punk was mouthy and demanding today. All three punks were whinebags. Both parents are ready to check themselves into the looney bin!

After splashing water all.over.the.bathroom the older punks were handed a towel and instructed to clean up their mess. They thought it was a fun game until they realized they had soaked the entire bathroom and it would taken longer than 2 seconds to clean up.

Luke dared to sass me today and got a tiny taste of apple cidar vinegar as his punishment. He thought I was joking when I got it out but quickly figured out that Mommy means business!

She's a stinker for sure, but Chloe is rocking potty training! It's so nice to be surprised by one of my punks in a good way!

Mighty Mouse

2011-05-26T15:21:00.006-05:00

The Souris (that's French for "mouse") River flows through Minot. We happen to live right across the street from it and for several decades the Souris hasn't posed any flooding problems in town...until now. Excess snowfall in Canada and North Dakota have caused the mighty Mouse to swell and it's now well above flood stage. Add to that several days of un-needed rain and the river is *thisclose* to flowing over it's boundaries.

The good news is that the city has been working hard to build up the river banks near our house. Today they've been working on the area directly in front of our house and the kids are enthralled with all the dump trucks full of sand and front end loaders packing the sand down.

Our house is in the middle:

The piles of sand across the street.

Let's all pray that it holds!

Shabby Apple Giveaway

2011-05-25T17:34:00.002-05:00

Have you ever been over to Shabby Apple? They have modest, vintage style clothes and they are super cute. There's a giveaway for the Shabby Apple HERE. You should enter!

Well, well, well.

2011-05-24T13:25:00.004-05:00

It seems that my switch to Internet Explorer 9 has caused some problems with my blog. About the time I upgraded my browser I found I wasn't able to publish posts to my blog! With some help from friends (Kate and Katie, thanks so much!) I discovered IE 9 was the problem and decided to try posting through Firefox. Voila!

The post below about Ben is the post I've been trying to publish for WEEKS. That "little" guy is almost 6 months old so his stats are outdated by now. :)

So, life goes on in the frozen tundra, whether blogger is cooperating or not. What have we been up to?

1. Spring has been a long time coming but there are finally leaves on the trees!

2. The river across the street is well past flood stage and crested yesterday...hopefully now I can stop worrying about our house floating away. Pray for no more rain!

3. We got rid of Luke's lovey, "gee-doggies," a little over a month ago. It had crossed the line from cute and soothing to disgusting and habit forming. I'm not gonna lie...the first few days were pretty rough. I felt awful because he loved that blanket (or what was left of it) so stinking much, but it was time for it to go. And you know what? My big boy surprised me and handled it much better than what I expected him to. (Don't worry, I saved every single piece of gee-doggies.)

4. Luke turned 4! He got all sorts of manly toys like light sabers, nerf guns, remote control cars, and a camo tent and has been terrorizing the rest of us ever since. Luke also finished his first year of preschool. He loved going to school and is already talking about going back in September. He seems so grown up to me lately...it's wonderful and makes me sad all at the same time. It's great that he's more independent now but sometimes I miss the tiny little thing he used to be.

5. Chloe has started potty training...oy vey. She's actually doing much better than I expected her too so I shouldn't complain. I just forgot how much time is spent in the bathroom while potty training and how exhausting it can be running a toddler to the potty every 2 minutes. It's only been 4 days and she's gotten the hang of #1...now for #2. She usually saves that for naptime so she's on a cot in the living room "sleeping" next to me right now.

6. Benjamin is a pure delight! He charms people everywhere he goes and I love how friendly our youngest guy is. He loves his exersaucer and "talking" to the fam while we're trying to eat dinner. He sits in the high chair while the rest of us eat and we joke that he's our meal time entertainment. He's started solid foods once a day and so far favorites are bananas and carrots.

7. Dan is working hard and bringing home the bacon, as usual. He's been working on some home improvement projects in the basement and it's looking great! It was a real pit when we first moved in (seriously, it made me cry) and Dan has worked long and hard to make it better for all of us. I'm proud of him. :)

8. I am trying to keep my wits about me in the midst of baby-toddler-preschooler madness. The big kids have taken to fighting with each other all day long and that can really wear on a mama's sanity. We've been going to the YMCA three times a week and even though I loathe exercise with every fiber of my being, it's 2 hours to myself! Who's gonna turn that down?! Not me! (My exercise of choice is Zumba. It's quite fun.)

So that's what we've been up to, in a tiny nutshell. Now how have you been?

Baby Beefcake at 4 months

2011-04-20T23:28:00.005-05:00

At 4 months of age, Benjamin is 16 lbs 10 oz and is 27.75 inches long. That's the 98th percentile for length and 90th for weight. Because of his size we have the green light to try solid foods with him. His first taste of oatmeal: not sure what to do with it. (It takes practice you know!) It's also not easy to focus on learning something as new and vital as swallowing solid food with two enthusiastic older siblings cheering you on. :)

Sunday Letters

2011-03-27T20:55:00.007-05:00

Dear Luke,

You started last week with a stomach bug that involved 24 hours of throwing up. The last time you had a bug like that you were 2 so you really didn't remember what it was like to be sick like that. You handled it well, all things considered. You didn't whine or complain and you told me when you had to run to the bathroom. I'm so glad you're feeling better now! We had another snowstorm this week and even my North Dakota boy was bummed about it. You keep asking when we can go to the playground and my answer is always, "When the snow melts. (In June.)" Spring is coming, son. I promise. :)

Dear Chloe,

You are starting this week with what I'm assuming is the stomach bug Luke had last week. You aren't handling it as well as your big brother did because you don't quite know how to express how yucky you're feeling. You don't like throwing up in the toilet but Mommy doesn't like cleaning up puke off the floor, so that's just how it's going to be.

You'll appreciate this when you're older: earlier today you started to cry so I picked you up. Luke immediately tried to tackle me and I told him to stop and he didn't listen. I could feel you start to heave and I couldn't get you to the bathroom fast enough because Luke was still hanging on to my leg. Well, sweet girl, you threw up all over Luke's back (which at that point was just water and didn't even smell), but he learned his lesson! Divine retribution is had by little sister today. Ha!

Dear Ben,

Please don't start throwing up. You are still a hunk-o-love and I look forward to your gummy grins. When your big brother and sister are picking at each other and demanding I wait on them hand and foot I just look at your sweet face, wait for a smile, and tune out the chaos. :) Oh, and please don't start throwing up!

Dear Dan,

Thanks for taking care of the punks so I could go to the ladies' retreat at church this weekend. It was so great to be with other adults and hear from God's word without the distractions kids bring. I'm bummed that we couldn't go to our small group tonight because of Chloe not feeling well, but there's always next week. I'll miss you when you're in Fargo this week!

3 kids, 1 giraffe.

2011-03-24T10:52:00.003-05:00

All 3 kids at roughly 4 months of age. Fascinating...

Please and thanks.

2011-03-22T23:38:00.001-05:00

Would the vomit and snow please exit the W. house ASAP? Don't make me ask twice!

Sunday Letters

2011-03-20T16:51:00.003-05:00

Dear Luke,

This week we spent a lot of time detoxing from our vacation in Missouri. You have been taking naps this week because of daylight savings time and recovering from our long trip but I don't expect that to last long! You've deemed yourself too cool for naptime these days and you don't like that Mommy enforces a quiet time everyday. Young man, you talk more than any child I have ever met and sometimes I need a break from the constant conversation. Mimi and Poppy have been visiting with us this weekend and I can tell they've been a little overwhelmed by your vocabulary! Ha!

Dear Chloe,

You, my dear, are going to turn my hair gray. You can talk but have a hard time asserting yourself into Luke's monologue so you choose to communicate via screams. Big brother has figured out how to get the loudest screams out of you (all it takes is a growl in your direction). I've had to seperate you and Luke several times in the last week for picking at/on each other. *sigh*

After we got back from Missouri I moved your carseat to the backseat with Luke. You were so proud to be sitting next to your brother in the car and your little conversations as we drive around town are pretty hilarious. On the way to preschool Wednesday Luke was educating you on the meaning of stoplights. You repeated everything he told you: "Red means stop, green means go, and yellow means slow down!"

Dear Ben,

You are still the sweetest baby ever created. You are *thisclose* to laughing and you still save the most smiles for Luke. I can tell that Chloe still worries you some and for good reason! You are a whopping 15 pounds and quickly outgrowing a lot of your clothes. I've been sifting through sale racks to find clothes that'll keep you warm. You met your Mimi and Poppy for the first time this weekend and they are smitten with you, as is everyone who meets you! Your eyes are still inbetween colors and I'm patiently waiting for them to turn brown. :)

Dear Dan,

Thank you for rearranging your schedule on Friday so I could make it to zumba class. You're a peach. :)

Truthful Tuesday

2011-03-15T14:13:00.004-05:00

*We put 2500+ miles on the van driving to Missouri and back. The kids are great travelers, but the last 3-4 hours of any trip are always a nightmare. The DVD player is our last resort and we didn't have to use it once. Well, if it hadn't gotten buried under everything else on our way back we would have used it for the last few hours of the drive. Oh well, turns out Mommy is good enough entertainment. ;)

*Chloe was up all night coughing--no exaggeration. She and I were finally able to fall asleep at 6 a.m. and she slept until 2 this afternoon. Holy cow, kid! (Luke came downstairs between 8 and 9...you can add up the hours Mommy got to sleep on one hand.) She's not coughing much right now but she's not eating anything either. Darn you, 2 year molars!

*Luke and Ben had a fun time playing together this morning without the "helpful" guidance of mother hen, Chloe. It's clear that they love each other...melts my heart!

*Have you noticed the weather in Minot today? Go ahead, check it out. Upper right hand corner. :D :D :D

All part of learning

2011-03-02T13:18:00.001-06:00

Luke brought this home from preschool today. Should I be amused or worried? :)

Sunday Letters

2011-02-27T23:09:00.002-06:00

Dear Luke,

You have been a very good boy this week. There was the usual protesting of naptime and the occasional toddler 'tude but overall you've been on your best behavior. I was especially proud of you last night: I had gotten Chloe out of the tub and told you to sit tight while I got her dried off and dressed. The next thing I know you were out of the tub and wrapped in your towel. You had gotten out of the tub by yourself and even put all the bath toys away and pulled the plug to let the water out. You were so proud of yourself for doing that...you even told Ben what you had done. My boy is growing up!

Dear Chloe,

You have been mischievous this week, young lady. Making messes and getting into things you shouldn't be was your objective and you succeeded all week long. You broke Luke's piggy bank, dumped out all the toy bins during naptime, and fell head first into the corner between the glider and bookshelf in your room. You've also been teething this week and that hasn't made you very pleasant to be around. I'm hoping your molars come in ASAP so we can all have some peace.

Dear Ben,

You are still the happiest baby on the planet and I'm thankful for that. You are happy all day but you give the best smiles and coos first thing in the morning. I don't mind waking up with you when I get gummy grins and your version of "good morning, mommy!" You had a check up this week and your growth is off the charts--26 inches and 14 lbs 10 oz at 2.5 months. Your new nickname is "baby beefcake."

Dear Dan,

I'm thankful for a husband who works hard to provide for his family. I'm thankful that you took an afternoon off this week so I could get a long overdue haircut and have lunch with a friend. I'm also thankful that you offered to take the afternoon off tomorrow so I could go to the doctor by myself. I'm looking forward to going through the Sacred Marriage study with you in our small group. You're the best!

Dear Missouri,

I hope you're ready for us. I'm expecting no rain and warm temps!

Love,
Jessica

Baby Beefcake

2011-02-24T16:23:00.002-06:00

This little chunker had a check up this morning. At 2.5 months he weighs 14 lbs 10 oz and is 26 inches long. His length is completely off the growth chart and his weight is close to being off the chart. He's perfectly healthy and a big hunk of love. :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-23T07:00:00.001-06:00

Lost and Found

2011-02-21T16:37:00.003-06:00

The missing sippy cup mentioned in my last post has been found. It was every bit of disgusting I had imagined...blech.

Edited to add: Chloe found the cup somewhere in her room. I was in the living room when I heard her say, "Yucky, yucky milk!" over and over. I'm not sure where she found it and I'm not sure she'll drink from that cup again...not after the nasty surprise she got last night!

I'll also say that I've found cups under carseats before and I didn't even bother cleaning them--they went right in the trash. I'm guessing the cup Chloe found was under her crib or in her closet...somewhere cool...because the milk wasn't solid, even after a week.

I hope no one was planning to eat after reading this post. :)

Sunday Letters

2011-02-20T17:20:00.003-06:00

I first saw this on Katie's blog and thought it was a great idea. For some reason I can't get the pretty icon to copy, so you can see the original idea here.

Dear Luke,

Young man, you know how to push your mother's buttons. I am certain that's because you are the oldest and the guinea pig by default, but I've got an inkling it also has to do with you and me being so much alike. You've got a great imagination and you never (EVER) stop talking. You've got lots of questions about how the world works right now and you've made it your mission figure it all out asap! You are easily frustrated if you're asked to do something you don't want to do...which leads to a lot of, "I don't love Mommy anymore" and "That makes me VERY angry!" Preschool is helping your abundance of energy. This week you learned about the letters L and M and had your Valentine's day party. You were so excited to show me all the valentine's and treats your new friends gave you. You're ice fishing with your daddy today and I'm sure you'll come back with lots of stories to tell--you always do!

Dear Chloe,

Sweet girl, you are the most curious little thing I've ever seen. You learn by trial and error and that often leads to great big messes. This week you peeled paint off your dresser during naptime, unloaded dirty dishes from the dishwasher, and hid one of your sippy cups. It's been missing since Monday and no one can find it. At this point I'm hoping I never find it because what's inside it is probably ten kinds of disgusting by now! You had fun at the YMCA daycare couple days this week, going to the store with Mommy, and playing with friends at church. You're starting to follow directions a *little* better but you still don't like picking up your toys or sharing your personal space with Luke. You're talking in sentences now and you add an "s" to the end of a lot of words. For example, today you've been calling me "Moms" instead of "Mommy." :)

Dear Ben,

It's official: you are the best baby ever created! You have the sweetest disposition and are generous with your smiles. (You are also sleeping through the night and that makes Mommy VERY happy!) Your 2 month check up (2 weeks late) is this week and I'm curious to see how much you've grown. I'm going to guess that you weigh approximately 15 pounds and are apprx. 25 inches long. You take the heavy handed love from your brother and sister in stride and save some of your best smiles for them. :)

Dear Dan,

It's been a rough week because we've all been sick but we're finally all on the mend. Life with 3 kids is crazy but fun! I enjoyed our night out for Valentine's Day and I'm glad we get to spend your day off together tomorrow. I'm glad I get to spend my days taking care of our punks and my evenings talking with you. Thanks for putting up with me this week...and happy birthday. :)

Punks playing

2011-02-19T10:40:00.000-06:00

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-02-17T12:14:00.002-06:00

After a week of unseasonably warm (40s) temperatures we're back to cold and snow. I knew the warmth wouldn't last but it was sure nice to be out without the heavy winter coat. It was also nice to see the ground--we haven't seen the grass before Thanksgiving!

Two weeks from today we'll start the trek south to Missouri!

I pulled 2 peas out of Chloe's nose last night. I was sitting right next to her...how did I not see her put them up there?!

When asked if he had to use the bathroom, Luke replied with, "Nope. My butt's all locked up." Boys.are.awesome!

We joined the YMCA a couple weeks ago and I've started going to zumba class. I look pretty ridiculous doing it but it's fun and hopefully I'll start losing some baby weight. There's no way I'd stay on a treadmill for an hour so if the zumba helps shed the pounds I'll stick with it.

Luke is still loving preschool. For Valentine's day they had a little party and Luke told me he was going to show his class how he can "break dance." I'm not sure if he performed for his friends...if he didn't they missed out on quite a show!

Ben is officially the best baby ever. He might grow up to be a punk like his brother and sister but for now he is sweet, cuddly, happy, and generous with his gummy grins. I'll take it!

Punks, all at 2 months

2011-02-15T17:48:00.002-06:00

My Valentine

2011-02-13T22:41:00.001-06:00

Maturation

2011-02-09T22:54:00.002-06:00

A North Dakota friend told me recently that she can tell that I've acclimated to life in the frozen tundra. Flattered, I asked how she knew that. Her answer?

As of late, my facebook posts have been void of bitter hatred toward North Dakota and winter in general.

That's humbling...and true.

I wouldn't say that I'm ready to call North Dakota "home" yet, but I've been noticing a change in my feelings toward my new surroundings. It's taken a little more than a year but I can honestly say that ND doesn't repulse me anymore, the thought of living here doesn't make me cry anymore, and I've stopped focusing on the disadvantages of living up here (for the most part).

That's not to say that I don't miss far away family and that I'm completely embracing winter. I'm living with winter because I have no other choice and complaining isn't going to change the weather. I'm actually proud of myself for surviving such ungodly temperatures!

Progress. :)

Love

2011-02-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

I love this picture for many reasons.

1. You can't see my double chin.
2. I'm wearing my favorite pajama pants and that makes me happy.
3. Yesterday was a rough day with punk #1 and I'm loving that punk #3 doesn't have the ability to talk back yet.
4. Ben is the cutest baby ever and today he's 2 months old.

LOVE!!

Success!

2011-02-04T23:13:00.005-06:00

When she visited last month, my mom showed me how to make her famous homemade bread. I've enjoyed her bread my entire life but have always been too intimidated to try to make it myself...until now. :) I meant to have her show me how to make it before we moved but for many reasons that didn't happened. We remedied that and I'm proud to say that my first attempt at making it all on my own (if you don't count the phone call and several emails going back and forth during the process). :)

Is your mouth watering yet?

Snow

2011-02-01T09:25:00.003-06:00

There's much to do about snow today, but for once the skies are clear and sunny in Minot. The temps are an ungodly kind of cold, but it's not snowing today. I'm thankful!

Thoughts on Thursday

2011-01-27T11:33:00.003-06:00

*The big kids have been playing with boxes for the better part of the morning. They're pretending they're houses and they're neighbors. They are now using crayons to decorate their houses. Awesome. :)

*Chloe has had eczema since she was born. It was mild in Missouri but since moving to dry, wintry North Dakota it's gotten worse. She doesn't seem bothered by it and I have no idea how: I've started getting it and it's driving me crazy! I've tried all kinds of different lotions and so far none are helping much. I've been putting Aquaphor on the super dry/scaly patches like we do for Chloe, but what to do for the rest of my itchy self? I've tried Eucerin and Aveeno lotions (the Aveeno is working better than Eucerin).

*Have you seen the temperature here today? Holy cow! It'll be gone tomorrow but for today we will enjoy it.

*Will you pray for my mother-in-law?

*Luke is starting preschool on Monday! I was making calls for the fall and the preschool we liked the best had an opening right now so we jumped on it. Luke and I went to check it out yesterday and he loved it! I'm so glad my busy boy can go now--it'll be a nice change for all of us! I'm a tiny bit sad about sending my baby to "school" but I'm mostly happy about it. He's been cooped up with me and Chloe for too long! It's just 2 hours on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Just enough time for me and the younger punks to run some errands and for Luke to have some fun. We're looking forward to it. :)

*Ben slept for TEN HOURS last night! Holy cow! I'm not counting on that to happen again anytime soon but I'll take it when I can!

*Speaking of Ben, he's huge! Luke and Chloe were average size when they were babies. Chloe has always been in the 95th percentile for length but I'm thinking Benjamin is going to beat some world records! Okay, maybe not world records but he's 7 weeks old and already growing out of some of his 3 month size clothes. He's got the sweetest personality to go along with his chubby cheeks. Love him to pieces!

Comfort

2011-01-19T23:18:00.003-06:00

We have had a marvelous time with my mom the last 10 days. This time tomorrow she'll be back in her own bed 1100 miles away and we're all sad about it. I'll comfort myself with pictures and posts about our visit in the coming days, but for now I'll enjoy the first picture of my youngest punk's gummy grin.

He's quite handsome, don't you think?

Punks in pajamas

2011-01-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

Date Night

2011-01-09T00:00:00.003-06:00

Luke and I went on a "date" tonight. Our reason for going to the mall was for him to get his haircut but there weren't any openings. We made the best of our trip by playing in the food court and doing some shopping. Luke perfected the art of camoflauge while I browsed the sale racks at Old Navy (read: he hid in the clothes and yelled, "Mommy! Mommy! Can you see me?!")

Before leaving we stopped by Barnes and Noble and shared a cookie and hot chocolate.

Conversation while we were out ranged from bear hunting to ice fishing to why North Dakota is so cold. All valid issues to a 3 year old. :)

Birthday Girl

2011-01-07T02:37:00.001-06:00

4 days old:

1 year:

2 years:

Happy birthday, sweet girl!

Sometimes living in North Dakota really bums me out.

2011-01-02T23:26:00.000-06:00

It just does.

2011, day one: FAIL

2011-01-01T18:06:00.003-06:00

I'd like a do-over of today.

Last night Dan and I stayed up and watched the ball drop in New York and I fed Ben one last time before hitting the hay. I had just fallen asleep when I woke up to Luke standing 2 inches from my face.

"I miss you. Can I sleep in your bed?"

(Let me add that I've been sleeping in Ben's room on the first floor because he's prone to spitting up and choking on it and it makes me uneasy to sleep upstairs, even with a baby monitor on.)

Luke climbed into bed with me and proceeded to kick and thrash in his sleep and shove his disgusting blanket in my face. Not much sleep for Mommy.

Ben woke up at 4 to eat, which is really good for him. (Had Luke not been in my bed I would have gotten a solid 3 hours of sleep, which in newborn-land is fantastic.)

After I fed Ben I took Luke upstairs to his room. Thirty minutes later he was standing 2 inches from my face again.

"My pants are all wet and so is my bed."

Awesome.

I took his clothes off (all of which were soaked in you-know-what), wiped him down, wrapped him in a blanket, and dumped him in bed with Dan. I put clean clothes on him and stripped his bed.

Upon waking up this morning I discovered that Luke had been up before me and had dug around in the pantry, drank juice straight from the pitcher in the fridge (and spilled it in the process), and the clever little thing had pushed a chair up to the counter and played in the canisters.

Needless to say my day didn't start well and a foul mood has persisted. Tomorrow has GOT to be better, so I'll save my "Happy New Year" to everyone until then. ;)

2010 Year In Review

2010-12-24T21:23:00.034-06:00

In January, Chloe turned 1...

...we checked out all the tractors at the big ag expo in town...

...and we did lots of sledding.

In February we had visits from Mimi and Poppy...

...we visited cousins in Montana....

...and Dan caught a really big fish.

In March Chloe got into some trouble...

...and we had lots of silly fun together.

In April Nonnie came to visit...

...and Luke turned 3.

In May we celebrated Mother's Day (and announced the impending arrival of baby #3)...

...we visited Missouri (including Bass Pro)...

...Luke helped Nonnie do some cooking...

...and we visited the geographical center of North America.

In June we saw lots of rainbows...

...and we enjoyed the neighborhood splash park.

In July we had more silly fun...

...the kids played in Daddy's closet...

...we saw something pretty on the way to Bismarck...

...and we discovered a Cracker Barrel when we got to Bismarck.

In August we played some t-ball and enjoyed a lot of time outside as a family.

In September we visited Glacier National Park in Montana.

October brought our first Halloween trick-or-treating experience.

In November we got a box from Nonnie that had new pajamas in it. We had a low key Thanksgiving (complete with no pictures). :)

December has brought a wonderful gift: the birth of Benjamin!

Next up: Christmas. :)

One Year

2010-12-23T10:03:00.002-06:00

One year ago today North Dakota greeted us with this:

Three feet of snow fell in 2 days and we were snowed in for 4 days. What an adventure this year has been!

Brothers: a comparison

2010-12-20T23:19:00.005-06:00

Ben's first bath vs. Luke's.

Reminiscing and Monday Musings

2010-12-20T13:12:00.004-06:00

*Snow is falling...again. Another 6-9 inches to add to the 32 we've already gotten this winter (which is ironic, seeing as how the official start of winter isn't until tomorrow). North Dakota must not care about "official" dates on the calendar.

*We are a few days away from the one year anniversary of our moving north. A year ago I was saying goodbye to our church family, my friends, and my brothers and sisters-in-law. What an emotional roller coaster. You can read about some of my Missouri memories here.

*Tomorrow is my mom's birthday. (Happy birthday, Mom!) December 21st is also the day we left Missouri last year. Another emotional day. You can read about it right here.

*It took us 3 days to drive from Missouri to North Dakota. You can read about the trip here, here, and here.

*A lot has changed for us in the last year and I'm glad to say that it's been mostly good changes. Expect a very deep post about life changes on New Year's Eve. :)

Happy one week birthday, Ben!

2010-12-14T16:47:00.000-06:00

Pictures from the crazy house

2010-12-10T15:42:00.003-06:00

Going home from the hospital.

Chloe, worming her way into picture taking of the new addition when we got home. She's looking so rough because her daddy was in charge of her hair while I was away. :)

Check out the pure joy on this big brother's face!

Introducing...

2010-12-09T19:15:00.007-06:00

Benjamin Chester
December 7, 2010
4:31 p.m.
9 lbs 2 oz
21.5 inches

I would have updated sooner but the internet at the hospital wouldn't connect to blogger. Ben and I are at home now...let the chaos begin! Luke is helpful and so far is very enamored with his little brother. Chloe is offended that we won't let her put her finger in Ben's eyes/ears/mouth and slap his head. There have been some hysterics. :)

No baby yet.

2010-12-06T09:58:00.001-06:00

That is all.

To my youngest son

2010-12-02T10:28:00.002-06:00

Dear Ben,

Today would be a fine day to be born. Mama is getting tired and cranky.

That is all.

Love,
Mom

PS--If you come out today I'll buy you something awesome.

Kid conversations

2010-11-29T17:57:00.003-06:00

Luke: Chloe, let's race!
Chloe: Yeah!
L: Ready, set, go!
(Luke takes off running.)
C: Set, run!
(Chloe takes off, going as fast as she can.)
L (at the "finish line" and said with an eye roll): Chloe, you're not going fast! Hut, hut, hut!
C: Yeah!

*****************************************************

Luke, lifting up his shirt: My babies are moving! Feel them, Mommy!
Me, feeling his "babies:" Wow, they're really moving! You look great for having lots of babies in your belly.
L: Yeah, they like to move. I think they will come out this week.
Me: That's great, I hope my baby comes out this week too!
L (who makes everything a competition): I think my babies will come out TODAY! I'm the winner!

O Christmas Tree

2010-11-26T17:06:00.003-06:00

If our Christmas tree remains unscathed for the next month it will be nothing short of a miracle. We had a fun time decorating it this morning as a family but two punks I know are having a hard time keeping their grubby paws off of it now. Methinks we should look into getting a small tree that they can decorate (and redecorate however many times they want) with plastic ornaments.

In decorating the tree I discovered that I neglected to get Chloe a "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornament. She was born in January 2009 so her first Christmas was last year--you know, when we were moving from Missouri to North Dakota. I'll try to find one that doesn't have a year on it and put my sharpie to good use. :)

We had a very low key Thanksgiving and it was just what we needed. Turkey and the fixins for 4, naptime, and fun as a family. When asked what he was thankful for Luke said, "Mommy!" That was nice to hear after the attitude he's been giving me lately.

The temperatures up here have "warmed" up a bit and that's been a nice change. 29 degrees is always better than 0 degrees!

Truthful Tuesday

2010-11-23T09:32:00.004-06:00

*Luke has morphed into a 13 year old seemingly overnight. I can't take the attitude and Chloe can't take the pestering. Send reinforcements!

*I'm waiting to order our Christmas cards until Ben arrives so I can include his picture on it. It's driving me INSANE that I'm missing out on all the deals on shutterfly...hopefully they'll still have some sort of deal when I can order them.

*I'm 38 weeks and even though I'm tired and achy I'm praying that Ben stays put until December. The blizzard forecast for this week is playing a part in that, but I've always liked December more than November. Mature, right?

*Because of the snowstorm the kids and I really should go to the store today...but the very thought of it makes me want to go back to bed. I can't think of many things worse than being 9 months pregnant and taking 2 toddlers to Walmart.

*After months and months of teething Chloe is finally cutting more teeth. It's a miracle!

*Part of Chloe's birthday present came in the mail today and I'm really tempted to open it myself. (It's The Little Mermaid on dvd, in case you were wondering. What? I know I'm 28 and shouldn't be so excited about a kids' movie, but I haven't seen it in 20 years!)

*My weight gain for this pregnancy has been less than the other two and I'm pretty sure I know why: I'm not around a teacher workroom full of donuts everyday! Chasing two punks around and living in a house with 2 flights of stairs might have something to do with it too...but not stuffing my face with desserts all day certainly helps. :)

More Monday musings

2010-11-15T15:43:00.004-06:00

I see a pattern developing. :)

*If Luke throws one more fit today I'm going to run away from home. I'll probably go to the mall.

*Age 3 has been 1000 times worse than 2 for us/Luke. Lord have mercy!

*The kids have started chasing each other so they can tickle each other--it's hilarious! Instead of saying "tickle" Chloe says "gickle" and they both laugh when she "gickles" Luke. Luke blows raspberries on Chloe's belly instead of actually tickling. :)

*The above tickling ritual almost always ends with someone screaming and/or crying but it's worth it!

*You can read what I was up to this time last year right here. We are quickly approaching the one year mark of living in the great white North...some days it feels like it's been much longer than a year and some days it doesn't feel that long at all. Funny how that works.

*Ben's carseat is finally in the van--after much rearranging. You'd think with a minivan it wouldn't be that hard, but it was surprisingly difficult to make it all fit right. I actually laid awake at night trying to think of the right way to get all 3 seats in there without having to wedge myself in the backseat everytime we had to get somewhere. We ended up taking out one of the captain's chairs in the middle row and putting Luke's and Ben's seats on the back seat.

*I am soooo looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner!

Monday Musings

2010-11-08T17:23:00.003-06:00

*I'm a blogger slacker. The first step is admittance, right?

*Chloe is saying a lot of new words lately. She mimicks her big brother the most (which is a little scary) and her first sentence? "No way!" It's adorable and we're enjoying it until it becomes annoying. Which will probably happen by the end of the week.

*Luke is busy learning that we don't sass Mommy and Daddy and that slamming doors is not okay. Silly me thought I wouldn't have to deal with so much attitude until my kids were much closser to their teenage years...HA! Luke's punishment for slamming doors is to open/close the door 10 times the correct way. That's right--Mama means business!

*A lovely lady has offered to clean my house tomorrow. I'm embarassed and excited all at the same time!

*I got a box from a friend in Missouri this morning and it absolutely made my day. It means a lot to know my friends haven't forgotten about me!

*Less than a month to go until Ben makes his first appearance in this world. My clothes have long since ceased to cover the belly. Dan teases me about "letting it all hang out" and I told him today that I'm going to have to start limiting my time in public because it's starting to get obscene. :)

*I refuse to spend $$$ on clothes I'll only wear for a few more weeks so sweatpants and Dan's ratty old tshirts it is! Do you think anyone would judge me if I wore that to church from now on?

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T19:09:00.007-05:00

This year was our first experience trick-or-treating. We decided to take the kids to the mall to get candy because it's cold and dark early here and it's just easier. :) Luke was totally psyched to wear his costume; Chloe...not so much. She ended up liking it but she threw a pretty big fit when we put it on her. All's well that ends well!

Snow in October

2010-10-27T11:25:00.003-05:00

Snow in October is just wrong.

Luke was so excited to see snow on the ground this morning that he didn't want to eat breakfast. What can I say? The kids is a natural North Dakotan.

What a difference a year makes!

2010-10-25T13:02:00.001-05:00

Fall 2009 vs. fall 2010

Weekend Wonderings

2010-10-23T17:28:00.003-05:00

*Dan put Ben's crib together this morning. Hooray! I'm pretty sure I'll sleep better tonight knowing it's done.

*There is snow in the forecast for next week, along with much colder temps. We have enjoyed an unseasonably warm October so I guess we're due for some cold weather. I'll try not to complain about it too much.

*I hate pheasants.

*Luke has been waking up at night a lot recently and it's slowly killing me. Sometimes it's due to a bad dream, but most of the time he's whining that he's got "spit on my arm" (from drooling in his sleep) or that he has "something in my nose" (aka: a booger). I've put a box of tissues next to his bed so he can blow his nose and wipe his arm off, but it doesn't stop the crying and wailing for Mommy and Daddy. He's been sleeping through the night for a really long time--6 weeks before baby brother is born is NOT the time to start waking up again. Seriously kid, Mommy is so freaking tired.

*Chloe is obsessed with Toy Story. It's like Luke's obsession with Cars when he was her age. Kinda cute, kinda annoying.

*I haven't been posting much because I'm just tired. And lazy, but mostly tired. I read somewhere today that during pregnancy a woman's brain shrinks 8%. That explains a lot.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-06T11:49:00.000-05:00

Monday Musings

2010-10-04T09:47:00.003-05:00

*I'm loving the warm and sunny fall weather we've been having. Wonderful!

*We are offically members of First Baptist church in Minot now.

*We're getting a new garage door today. It'll be nice to have one with an opener but I could do without the bill.

*I am so glad Sesame Street is running some new episodes now!

*I love pumpkin and apple scented candles.

*I have the urge to paint walls and rearrange things.

*Is it sad that the highlight of our day is getting the mail?

*The computer is acting up again. It's the internet connection and it did the same thing about 6 months ago. Not cool.

*Heartburn might be the death of me.

*Lots of cleaning to do today. A woman's work is never done!

Beautiful Montana

2010-09-30T11:48:00.011-05:00

We spent a week in beautiful Montana. The pictures don't do it justice!

Glacier National Park, specifically Lake Sherburne in Many Glacier.

Another angle of Lake Sherburne

Dan the fisherman.

Punks exploring.

Punks posing with their mama.

Punks enjoying a picnic in the woods by Lake Seely, Montana.

Fun at Lake Seely.

The fam!

Home again

2010-09-29T18:54:00.001-05:00

We are back from a relaxing week spent in beautiful Montana. Pictures tomorrow. :)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

Both stuck; both looking cute in the process.

The one where Chloe gets stuck.

2010-09-18T23:21:00.004-05:00

Chloe has a knack for getting herself stuck in tight spaces. And clothes hangers.

She gave it a good college try but was unsuccessful in freeing herself from the hanger. She did succeed in getting her bracelet stuck on the hanger. It was a rough day for Chloe.

Why I Hate Walmart

2010-09-13T18:22:00.002-05:00

Walmart is the devil and it had better watch it's back, because since moving to Minot it has not been a good friend of mine.

My background with Walmart includes a 3 year stint as a cashier in high school and college, as well as a general liking of the store and the experiences I had there.

Since moving from a town of 5000 to a city of 35,000, each with one Walmart, I'm finding that my liking of Walmart fades with each time I make a trip to the store. (Which is helping our budget big time, by the way.)

Walmart in Minot is bigger than the one in Mtn. Grove but the service is 10 times worse. There is never anyone around to help when you need it, never enough cashiers, the shelves are often empty and pallets litter the aisles. Annoying, to say the least. I've discovered that doing my shopping there between 10 a.m. and noon on weekdays works best, but that's not always possible. Like today.

We met Dan, who had to work out of town all day and will be working until dark, at Pizza Ranch for an early supper. Pizza Ranch is right next to Walmart, I needed to return a movie to Redbox, and I just needed a few things so I decided to brave the 5 o'clock crowd since we were so close. Turns out that was a very bad idea.

I found an awesome parking spot but that's where my good luck ended.

Chloe has recently wanted to walk everywhere (read: fall every 5 steps because she's excited and is going to fast) so she decided to try to squirm out of my grasp while we were navigating traffic into Walmart. She screamed and arched her back while I was trying to force her into the cart. Awesome.

Tons of people were at the store, the Sprite Luke had with his pizza had kicked in and he was literally bouncing all over the place, and there were pallets and big hanging racks of clothes everywhere. (Seriously, this is the only Walmart I have ever been to where they attempt to stock shelves at the busiest time of day instead of overnight.)

We managed to get the stuff we needed in a relatively short amount of time and headed for the checkout. I was surprised to see several lines open but they were all backed up with 4-5 carts each. I picked one and there we stood. And stood. And moved a few inches. And stood some more.

The checkout process is always the worst part of shopping at Walmart, especially when I've got both kids (which is most of the time). Chloe wiped her snot on my belly, tried to lift up my shirt, and pulled magazines off the racks. Luke was still bouncing and asking me 10 thousand questions about every little thing he was seeing.

I was already in a short-tempered mood but doing my best to be patient when Luke says, "I have to poop."

I'm going to be really honest and say that what went through my mind at that moment is something that shouldn't be repeated in front of my children.

I guaged the line and asked if he could hold it. He said he could so we stood some more.

Fast forward 15 more minutes and Luke announces, "I can't hold it anymore."

Fan-freaking-tastic. We were next in line to check out but what's a mother to do?

We got out of line and headed to the bathroom where I discovered that Luke had already pooped his pants. The big handicapped stall was occupied so I crammed all 3 of us into a regular stall and Luke just stands there. *sigh*

In my head I'm screaming, "DUDE! PULL DOWN YOUR PANTS AND DO YOUR BUSINESS! FOR CYRING OUT LOUD--YOU KNOW HOW TO DO THIS!" On the outside I helped him pull his pants down. Poop falls on the floor. Both kids are trying to grab it and I'm about to cry.

Lord, have mercy!

He did his business and we got back in line and waited another 15 minutes to check out. When we finally got to the front of the line and the teeny bopper cashier asked me how I was doing I slapped her right across the face.

Not really, but I sure felt like it.

Moral of the story: when your 3 year old says he has to poop take him to the bathroom right away, don't go to Walmart at 5 p.m., and Walmart is stupid. And the devil.

Peanut Butter Brownies

2010-09-13T11:21:00.003-05:00

Here's a little (a LOT) of sugary goodness for your Monday!

Ingredients:

1 German chocolate cake mix
2/3 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup butter melted
1 lb vanilla caramels (or one package peanut butter chips)
6 oz chocolate chips

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 350.
*Mix cake mix, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and butter
*Spread 1/2 of batter on greased 13x9 pan (it'll be sticky so use your fingers to spread)
*Bake for 6-7 minutes
*Meanwhile melt caramels (or peanut butter chips) and remaining evaporated milk (I used more evaporated milk to make the peanut butter thinner)
*Top baked layer with 6 oz chocolate chips
*Pour caramel (or peanut butter) mixture on top
*Take remaining 1/2 batter and drop spoonfuls on top of the caramel (or pb), lightly spread around (using fingers works best). It doesn't have to be perfect!
*Bake another 18 minutes
*Let cool and enjoy!

***You have to let them cool competely before cutting or else they'll be a huge, gooey mess. When you take them out they'll look like they aren't done but they are--just let them cool!***

I've made these brownies using caramel and peanut butter. Both are rich and there's no telling how many calories are in them, but they're soooo good!

I've also been incredibly lazy (smart? ;) ) and added peanut butter chips to a regular brownie mix and it turned out pretty goood, too.

Rambling

2010-09-09T22:30:00.002-05:00

Tonight I am sorting baby clothes upstairs while Dan watches the Vikings/Saints game downstairs. Having grown up in Minnesota, Dan is an avid Vikings (and Timberwolves and Twins) fan and apparently he's upset at some of the offcial's calls because I can hear him from all the way up here. The man loves his sports. :)

Back to baby clothes...because let's face it: they are way more cute than sports. I've been buying stuff here and there and mostly summer stuff for next year that's been on sale. I've been throwing it all in a box and had no idea what exactly we had but now I do and I feel a little more organized.

Holy cow we've been getting a lot of rain up here...not cool, North Dakota! Actually, it's been quite cool temperature-wise and that's taken some getting used to. I will admit to having feelings of jealousy of Missouri's sunny, warm autumn. *sniff, sniff*

Luke's current favorite Bible story is David and Goliath. We read it every night out of his children's Bible and tonight after I read it to him he asked if he could read it to me--of course! That little punk has the thing almost completely memorized word for word. My heart swelled with pride hearing him recite a story from God's word. :)

Along those lines, Luke started Cubbies in our church's AWANA program this week. His favorite parts were song time, snack time, and the balloon he got to take home. We're working on memorizing the Cubbies motto (Jesus loves me) and key verse (God loved us and sent His Son. 1 John 4:10).

Chloe has been pretty cute lately. She is showing some minor interest in the potty so we put her on it before bathtime and sing our little potty song. So far she hasn't put anything IN the potty, but it's baby steps right? To be honest I don't have the energy to deal with potty training right now so I'm hoping she holds off until next spring or summer!

Dan and Luke do push ups before bedtime every night and today Chloe joined in. So stinking cute!

I took and passed the gestational diabetes test this morning. I celebrated by making and eating peanut butter brownies. :)

Fall

2010-09-08T00:39:00.002-05:00

Gosh, I hate to change my blogger background from summer to fall. It's getting harder to deny the feelings of all around these northern parts lately so I'm embracing the early change, even though I don't always like it.

We arrived home this evening from a weekend in Minnesota visiting Mimi and Poppy. "Exhausted" doesn't even begin to cover what we feel tonight!

Punk #3 has an official name: Ben.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

It's Monday again.

2010-08-30T14:13:00.003-05:00

*It's cold and rainy in North Dakota today. BOOOOO!

*Because of the weather today and the long range forecast, I've got the kids' fall clothes in the wash right now. In my humble (and somewhat southern) opinion, it's WAY to early to be getting out the pants and long sleeves.

*We had company this weekend but they had to leave in a hurry last night because of a family emergency. We haven't heard from them yet today and I'm hoping and praying that everything is okay.

*Poor Luke didn't understand why Uncle Erik and Aunt Cheryl had to leave so soon. It was so sad hearing him cry and say, "But I'll miss them!" We said a prayer for Aunt Cheryl's mommy and he seemed okay after that. Life is hard for 3 year old's to understand.

*We got a dresser for #3 for $20 this weekend! Now to make it all fit in his room...

*I love Friends.

*I also love chicken salad, Dr. Pepper, and Doritos. And rocky road ice cream.

*What I really love are chocolate chip cookies. Who wants to make me some?

*We had bacon and eggs for breakfast this morning and the house still smells like bacon. (That's the only downside of bacon, by the way.) Any tricks to getting the smell out? It's kind of cool so I don't want to leave the windows open for too long.

*I have to go to the dentist Wednesay and I don't want to. I'm taking Luke with me so he can see what they do before he has his first visit. I can't freak out this time. :)

*Speaking of Luke and the dentist: when I first told him he was going to come with me he said, "But I don't like it when they squirt water in my eye." It took me a minute but eventually I figured out that he was referencing the scene in "Horton Hears a Who" where the mayor is in the dentist chair, Horton falls down the rope bridge, and the dentist squirts water in the mayor's eye instead of his mouth. HA!

Monday Musings

2010-08-23T17:18:00.002-05:00

*Chloe has tripped twice, cut her lip once, busted open a wound on her forehead from a couple days ago, and managed to get her fingers smashed in a door...all within the last 6 hours.

*I'm wearing a pair of maternity jeans (that fit my previous two pregnancies) and I feel like they're sucking the life out of me. This is not a sign of good things to come!

*We're headed to a MOPS kick-off BBQ this evening. I'm nervous about meeting new people but am looking forward to the hot dogs. :D

*We sat at a car dealership for two hours this morning while we got oil changes and tires rotated and balanced on both cars. Not my idea of a fun morning and it was the scene of two of Chloe's accidents (both involving blood). Awesome.

*Luke told me the other day that he had spanked Chloe's bottom because he is the boss of her. He was so serious and it was hard not to laugh when he said it!

*I have a spot of poison ivy on the back of my hand. WHERE IS THIS DEVIL DISEASE COMING FROM?!

*I commented on someone's facebook this morning who is going to have #2 soon, and 22 months from their first child. My comment was how our kids are close together and we're busy, but it's a wonderful kind of busy. I mostly meant it. They'll know what I mean soon enough. :)

*Luke watched the Vikings on tv with Dan last night. At one point Luke was yelling at the tv louder than Dan was. "Come on, Bikens! COME ON!!" Wonder where he's heard that before...?

*Luke is trying to "read" to Chloe right now. He's "reading" Dr. Suess' "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" and doing a pretty good job telling her what the pictures mean. She's laying beside him fake snoring. She's a different breed, my girl.

*25 weeks today.

*We're looking forward to Dan's uncle and aunt from New York visiting the end of this week. Luke has already picked out "just the right bed for Erik and Cheryl." He's a pretty good host.

*We are FINALLY eating tomatoes from our 2 plants! I wasn't sure they'd ever get big or turn red, but sure enough a few have come through for us. Not many, but enough.

*Chloe is saying more words now and it's soooo cute. Her favorite word to say is "meatball!"

Fall Festival

2010-08-20T21:49:00.002-05:00

I find it amusing and disturbing that Minot's fall festival is tomorrow, August 21st.

Wordless Wednesday: My Girl

2010-08-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

She's got style, wouldn't you say?

"Riding" bikes and playing ball

2010-08-15T21:28:00.007-05:00

We had a fun time at the field across the street after supper tonight. Luke wanted to ride his bike over...which means using his Flintstone foot power instead of using the pedals. Dan and Chloe had made it over to the football field and made it around the track once before we got there. :)

When we finally arrived Dan attempted to show Luke how to use the pedals. I had already tried and Luke actually did it for 2 seconds before he gave up. He did the same when Dan tried.

"Too hard! I give up." I carried the bike home. We'll try again another day. :)

Luke did much better at playing ball. He does great hitting the ball off the tee and says he's a ball player like Daddy.

He means business...can you see his little tongue sticking out?

Chloe had fun playing in the grass while Luke hit the ball.

Dan and Chloe.

This girl loves her daddy!

My profile. Nice, right?

Dan pitched the ball to me and I actually hit it! A lot! This is a big deal for me because I am not athletic at all. Dan was very impressed with my skills and he wasn't just saying that. Awesome!

Dan hit the ball a few times and Luke as in awe at how high and far the ball went. He said,

"Daddy hit the ball all the way to the moon!"

I said, "Where does Mommy hit the ball?"

"To Daddy's glove."

Nice. Throw me a bone, kid!

Wordless Wednesday: Daddy's work

2010-08-11T09:43:00.001-05:00

Loving Daddy

2010-08-08T10:26:00.002-05:00

Saving the drama for his mama

2010-08-05T10:48:00.004-05:00

This picture was taken a few weeks ago. (Is it the most pathetic thing you've ever seen? I thought so. :) Luke fell outside and bloodied his lip and insisted on a bandaid, even though we told him bandaids don't stick to the insides of lips. Mimi and Poppy were visiting and Luke was very aware of the extra attention he was getting and the situation quickly escalated.

Sometimes you have to pick your battles and if the bandaid will make the whining stop, go for it.

Where in the world is Bilbo? Minot, North Dakota!

2010-08-02T00:31:00.015-05:00

Little Bilbo came my way via Nezzy at Cow Patty Surprise down in southern Missouri. (Holla! I love Missouri!) Many fun visitors and two ornery punks have kept me busy since then but we've managed to show Bilbo around our part of North Dakota and as this is his last stop before returning home to The Dirt Princess, I tried to make it good.

Bilbo's first stop was my husband's office, where he met one of North Dakota's many feathered creatures. (Side note: this pheasant was hanging in our bedroom when we were first married. It has been demoted several times and is now in a completely different building from the one I sleep in at night. Praise God for small victories!)

My mother-in-law and her husband were with us and Dan gave us all a tour of the fields he works in. (He is an area crop protection specialist and his degree is in entomology, so that means he helps area farmers know how to protect and eradicate pests from crops.)

Now, I know the official rules of this blog contest say that we should take pictures of Bilbo in our own gardens. This year our garden consists of 2 tomato plants that I'm not altogether sure will produce before the first frost...so I had to improvise: Bilbo got to see lots of expansive fields of row crops during his stay in Minot. :)

Here is Bilbo in front of a pea field. The bright yellow stripe in the background is a canola field in bloom.

Here he is in front of a canola field. The flax fields were in bloom the same time but their blue flowers close up in the afternoon. In the morning the flax fields are beautiful--seas of blue!

Friends from Missouri came to visit the following weekend and we took them (and Bilbo) to the North Dakota State Fair. Again, two ornery punks kept me from taking a lot of pictures, but I think the little feller had fun anyway.

Bilbo meets Scooter in the bunny barn. Notice Scooter giving Bilbo the side-eye...

And the most important (and delicious) of all fair experiences: funnel cake!

A few days ago the fam took a mini-road trip 2 hours south to Bismarck, which is the state capitol. Dan had some work to do along the way so we took Bilbo along to see a different part of the state.

The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center near Bismarck, ND.

Bilob, meet Lewis and Clark.

And the most beautiful site I've seen so far in North Dakota: wind turbines as far as the eye can see, nestled in fields of wheat and on the other side of the dirt road, blooming buckwheat. The pictures really don't do it justice.

Bilbo also tagged along when I had my 20 week ultrasound and we found out we are having another boy. He was also hanging out in my purse last weekend when we purchased our *gulp* minivan. No pictures to prove it, but he was there for those momentous occasions.

And last, my pregnant self with Bilbo. I know that Nezzy worked Bilbo half to death on her Ponderosa, so I decided to go easy on the little fella. He got to tag along on our little trips and rested a little (in my purse :) before making the journey home. We enjoyed having him and hope that he (and you, readers!) enjoyed the state of North Dakota!

Love is a laundry basket, part 2

2010-07-21T09:18:00.002-05:00

It's another BOY!

2010-07-20T19:51:00.000-05:00

20 weeks

Glorious

2010-07-16T20:45:00.002-05:00

The weather in North Dakota lately has been nothing short of glorious. Sunny, low humidity, and temps ranging from 75 to a wonderfully warm 90 today. All the other northerners are belly aching about the heat (my husband included) but I'm loving it. I'm taking it all in because there's a long cold winter coming.

We've had some company the last few weeks and will continue to have a steady stream of visitors so my posting has been neglected. I've got lots of pictures to share and will put them up as I've got the time.

Our current company is Dan's mom, Linda, and her husband, Jon. We went to the zoo this morning and out to see some of Dan's research in the canola, lentils, peas, and flax fields this afternoon. They are out walking right now while I'm home supervising Chloe. She's already in bed, but she still needs supervising. She's that kind of kid.

Speaking of THAT kind of kid...why do punks wait until company comes to showcase their worst behavior? I'm pretty sure that the second Mimi and Poppy walked in the door Luke became demon possessed. He has never been so hateful, defiant, and just plain naughty in his entire life! It's frustrating and embarassing.

Luke, I'm going to remember this when you're 16 and don't want me to embarass you in front of your new girlfriend. Mommy's got a good memory and payback's a comin'!

Love is a laundry basket, part 1

2010-07-13T20:13:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday! Today is my birthday!

2010-07-07T16:19:00.001-05:00

Today is my birthday. :)

Stuff

2010-06-30T19:27:00.005-05:00

*Alert the press! It's warmer in North Dakota than it is in Missouri today!

*While at Walmart earlier, Luke spotted the sweet corn. He wanted to get some but I told him we would wait until Papa gets here this weekend and we'd get some then. He talked about "corn on the cot" all the way home and no matter how much I insisted it was "cob" instead of "cot" he didn't believe me. So in a few days we'll go back and go get some "corn on the cot."

*Luke also calls cotton "cot" and drink is "bick." I don't know why.

*Chloe's pigtails just kill me--seriously the cutest thing I've ever seen.

*You know what's not cute? Chloe screaming. Oh.my.goodness.

*How frustrating that I can't eat the Reese's PB cups I bought this morning until the kids go to bed. Mommy doesn't like to share those. :)

*I'd like to know how and why I've all of a sudden got poison ivy. It's just a few little patches by Lord have mercy it itches...and I was under the impression that poison ivy didn't grow in abundance in North Dakota. I haven't been anywhere to get it, so it shall remain a mystery...

*My birthday is one week from today. Booyah!

*Is it bedtime yet?

Fun in the tub and crazy kids

2010-06-27T22:23:00.008-05:00

Six Months

2010-06-23T07:00:00.003-05:00

Today marks six months since the kids and I have lived in North Dakota.

December 23, 2009 was quite a day. After 3 long days in the car we pulled into a very snowy Minot. (You can read about our journey here, here, and here.) My nerves were shot, my kids were cranky, and I wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

We made it into town just in time for the biggest blizzard Minot had seen in years. Twenty-six inches of snow in 3-4 days.

Sub zero temps. More snow. For MONTHS. Check out any of my blog posts from January-March and you can read about my hatred for snow. :)

But you know what? Despite the snow, frigid temps, and being so very far from home we managed to adjust. Dan's job is good, I've made some good friends, and the kids are embracing their new surroundings.

So here's to 6 months of living in a new and sometimes foreign place and surviving.

Summer has finally made it's way to our neck of the woods and we are enjoying North Dakota more these days. I'm sure on December 23 when I post about living in the frozen tundra for 1 year I might be singing a different tune, but for now North Dakota is okay in my book.

(But not as good as Missouri. :)

16 weeks

2010-06-22T16:30:00.001-05:00

Shall we start taking guesses for boy or girl?

These pigtails kill me.

2010-06-19T22:35:00.001-05:00

A long awaited update.

2010-06-12T16:37:00.003-05:00

*Dan and Luke are out fishing so Chloe and I are having fun by ourselves. So far Chloe is just wandering around the house like she's not sure what to do with herself without her brother's "guidance."

*Who am I kidding--Chloe is always sure what she wants to do and it almost always involves getting into trouble!

*Newsflash to North Dakota: it's June 12th and I think that warrants a little warmth.

*Dan and Luke vacuumed, cleaned windows, and dusted this morning. Chloe followed along "helping" too and I sat on my backside and watched. It was great.

*15 weeks pregnant the third time around = mega belly.

*We love the splash park in town. So fun!

Wordless Wednesday, Missouri edition

2010-06-02T09:39:00.001-05:00

Because at some point in our lives I'm sure we have all thought it a good idea to hang a bra from our rearview mirrors.