Windows

We've had some fun making changes to our home. We've painted Kennedy and Tristan's rooms. Tristan finally got his "big boy bed", bunk beds. We also took down the privacy blinds that we put up when we moved in a year and a half ago and put up real window treatments in their rooms. It's coming along.

We've just about got our dining room finished. We got this rug a few weeks ago and our window treatments were hung yesterday. Just in time for me to host a luncheon with some friends today.

Blessing

Today Jack is two months old. It was also his blessing day. He did well. When I got to church he was fussy so I worried he would cry during the blessing but he was a champ and didn't make a sound. He looked so cute in his little white outfit. He is two months old now and changing daily. His face gets more and more animated every day.

We still have some construction going on in our neighborhood. Tristan--the little BOY that he is--just loves driving past the digger every day. Chris took him and Kennedy down to see it the other day and let them take a turn "driving".
We have been enjoying having Nana and Poppa Kelsey here the past few days. We took a picnic to Duke Gardens yesterday and we couldn't have asked for better weather. The kids enjoyed running around while the adults sat in the shade to relax. This is the last fun thing for summer for us. Kennedy starts preschool in September. She is excited to be going every day.

Five Weeks and Smiling

Sunday was a depressing day for me. After five weeks, my mom left. Help! To make matters worse Chris left for a business trip in Rhode Island. Talk about being drop-kicked into reality. I was determined to take my kids to church even though I would be doing it alone. Happy to say I made it with only a few outbursts in sacrament meeting. It was a little stressful at times but we survived.

When I got home I called Chris on his cell phone. We talked for a while then he instructed me to go out to the mailbox where I would find a surprise. I took the phone with me and we kept talking. The mailbox was empty. I was then instructed to look east. Oh yeah, a treasure hunt! Just then our little tan Corolla came up over the hill and Chris was driving! Turns out his flight was cancelled and the next flight would not get him to the meeting in time for it to be worth it so he decided to stay home.

This week has been extremely busy with the three kids. However, I have been ok. I have just been pretending that having three kids is no big deal. Fake it 'til you make it, right?

Jack turned 5 weeks on Tuesday and he greeted me that morning with his first smile (this is not a picture of his smile). He smiled at me about half a dozen times. So cute. It's nice to get some feedback.

Juggling Act

Jack is a week old. It makes me laugh to think of myself as a new mom with one child. One seems so easy now. When I had Kennedy I stressed over everything. I called the nurse advice line at least once a week for several months. I remember calling one time about her sucking her thumb and she had a sore on her thumb from the sucking. Who calls about things like that? A crazy, stressed-out first time mom, that's who.

Two was ok to manage and it got pretty easy as Tristan got older. It was nice for them to start playing together. It would have been easier these past few months had I not been pregnant. How funny I must have looked at 8 months pregnant running down the street after my toddler who could outrun me by a mile.

So far having three is like a juggling act. One is always up in the air. . .at all times at least one of my kids needs something right now. I wonder how I will manage when my mom leaves. . .

So far though, Jack has been a heavy sleeper. I have to force him awake sometimes just to eat. He was gaining weight really well at first but the past few days he has slept almost the whole day. And, in spite of a rough first night home from the hospital, he has done really well at night. I feed him before I go to bed and he wakes up half-way through the night and then again in the morning when it's time to get up. I take him for a weight check tomorrow to find out how he's growing.

Jack

It's kind of a strange experience having a c-section. We checked in at 8:30 and several things had to happen before Jack was actually delivered. Labs were drawn, consent forms signed, monitors placed, etc. We waited around for several hours then all of a sudden I was wheeled down the hall, prepped and draped and they started cutting away. Even though I was numb I could feel them cutting at my innards. It was so strange to feel that but not feel the pain. All at once here came Jack up over the curtain so we could be (almost) the first ones to know his gender.
I think we were a highlight of the morning for the staff. They were all so excited when I told them we didn't know the baby's gender. Bets were placed left and right.
Jack is a beautiful baby. He surprised us with his blonde hair. He looks more like the Lowe side of the family right now. We'll have to see if he keeps the blonde hair. I think he will. He's been sleeping almost constantly since he was born 24 hours ago. I'm sure that will change soon.
Welcome to the world, little Jack.

Harvest

We've been eating peas for several weeks now. I say we but I really mean the kids. Tristan just helps himself to any pea on the vine, ripe or not. He loves them so much he puts the whole pod in his mouth. I was getting upset with him at first but then I figured that he would be eating the peas when they were ripe anyway so I might as well let him enjoy it. I will give the ripe ones to Kennedy.

Today after church the kids and I went to check on the garden to see if it needs watering tomorrow. I pulled some carrots out of the ground, picked some beans and a small crown of broccoli. This is what I came up with. . .

Enough for one person. Since the kids have eaten most of the peas I helped myself. They were delicious!

Conference Weekend

Saturday Tristan slept much later than usual. So late that I checked on him twice before we finally woke him up. We all came downstairs and he was clearly not himself. He was very lethargic and just wanted to be held. He asked for a "gulk" so I gave him a sippy cup of milk. Chris made French toast for breakfast and shortly after starting our meal Tristan started gagging and the milk and toast were all over the table. Poor thing has never had a vomiting illness and was very confused by the whole incident.

We cleaned up the mess, gave Tristan a bath and set him in front of the t.v. watching "Cars". He was content for the moment. After conference started he fell asleep in my lap. I took him up to bed and hoped for the best.

By the afternoon Tristan had perked up and wanted to eat. I begrudgingly gave him some yogurt and a bit of water. He kept that down and by the time dinner came he was back to his old self again.

Sunday we continued our tradition of visiting Duke Gardens between sessions. It was the first time we have worn coats on our Conference outing.

The grounds were very wet. I didn't think we would be going to the gardens because of Tristan's recent illness and the wet weather we had been having. I thought I could safely dress Kennedy in white pants. She saw the hill that she typically likes to barrel roll down and made a dash for it. Chris and I were trying to keep Tristan from going into a little stream near by when we turned around and saw Kennedy rolling down the muddy hill. She stood up and then slid down on her bum. Her white pants were and are no longer white. It was one of those "oh well" moments.

The kids really enjoy the gardens and we ended up going with the neighbors kids the next day too.

Garden Update

My garden is coming along. I thought that since there is actually some green now I would take a few pictures.

Square-Foot Garden. Peas are growing really fast. The carrots, green onions and cilantro are just an experiment. They didn't do well last year. I was hoping it was because I planted too late and it was too hot. The lettuces are from seedlings so I cheated a little bit there but they seem to be doing well.

My strawberries are growing fast too. I was surprised at how quickly they came up from their bare roots.

My landscaping plants are taking a little longer. Although the "Forget Me Nots" have a few flowers, the snowdrops are taking their time and I haven't seen any growth on the ferns. I'm hoping its just to early for them.

Here is what I'm most excited for: Rhubarb. Especially since my mom will be here in June and can make me one of her special straberry rhubarb pies!

Our New Boat

A week ago Saturday I went out, by myself, to test drive minivans. I stopped at the Toyota dealership first and tried a 2007 Toyota Sienna. It was nice but didn't have all the options I wanted. I visited the Honda dealership next and drove a 2005 and 2006 Honda Odyssey. Very nice, right price but didn't feel right. After driving the two types of vans I decided I would rather have a Honda. I know a lot of people with Honda Odysseys and they all love their vans. I took home some information to my dear husband and we thought about it for a few days. I have been wanting a minivan for a long time but when it came down to it none of the three vans I tried on Saturday felt right. I started looking online for used Odysseys and found one I really liked. I got really excited and called the dealership first thing Monday morning. I scheduled an appointment to see the van on Tuesday when Chris could come with me. However, when I checked back with them that afternoon the van had been sold. DARN! Back to square one. After rolling it around in his head for a bit, Chris decided that a new 2008 van would be an option. He did some homework and found some tips online for buying a new car. He calculated approximately how much the dealership paid for the vehicle, added about $500 and said he would not take a higher price. We scheduled a babysitter and headed out to the Honda dealership. Chris drove the '06 and liked it. Imagine our surprise when we went in to discuss prices and the sales manager offered a new van to us at $25 below the price we previously agreed would be a "good price". Before we could commit to anything, he came back and offered an even lower price. The only haggling that took place was with the price on our trade-in, a 1993 Honda Civic hatchback. All in all we got a great deal, stayed within our budget and got a brand new van for only a bit more than the "06 would have been. We are happy.

Easter Weekend

I know it's a little late for writing about Easter Weekend but I guess it's better late than never.

Saturday morning I got up and going so I could test-drive some mini vans. I went to the Toyota dealership first and tried a 2007 Sienna. It was nice but lacking some features I really wanted, like automatic sliding doors.

The Honda dealership was next. I kind of thought I would lean more toward an Odyssey anyway. I drove a 2005 and a 2006. I liked the '06 but wasn't really excited about it. More to come on the minivan adventure.

In the afternoon we went outside to work and play in the yard. Tristan found the dirt pile, again. This is what happens when a toddler is left to his own in a pile of dirt.

We invited the Brinkerhoff's over for dinner and an egg hunt on Saturday night. They were some of the first friends we made when we moved here and our kids are the same ages so we have done a lot with them. Unfortunately, since our move last April and the ward split we haven't seen much of them. Now they are moving to Reno, NV. Kennedy and Steven have been good friends over the past 4 1/2 years and even though it's been several months since they have played together, it was like no time had passed.

The kids enjoyed playing together and we fired up the grill and had the first burgers of the season. It was all good.

Sunday morning the kids found their baskets full of fun stuff (thanks, Grandma Mary for the cute clothes). Tristan was sick so I stayed home from church with him so he could get a good nap. It was much needed after staying up way to late the night before.

The rest of the day was quiet and peaceful. I am so thankful for the Savior and His love for us. I think Easter is the most underrated holiday. We could never show thanks enough for what happened on that first Easter.

Easter Egg Dying

Today I had a dentist appointment to fix an old filling. I left my kids with a friend. It worked out for all of us because the kids got to play with some friends and I got to go to my dentist appointment without worry.

This afternoon we colored Easter eggs. This was Tristan's first time. When we picked out our sets at Target he saw one with Disney's "Cars" and, of course, had to have it. He loved it so much he wouldn't let go of it the rest of the morning. I had to let him take it into Sam's Club with us and they tried to charge me for it again, even though they don't carry those.

Kennedy was more interested in the whole process than Tristan. She helped me plunge the eggs into the dye and helped me pick out the colors and wraps for each egg. It was fun and I think we only cracked three eggs (out of 18).

Generator

Hey, I like this family blog. I'm glad it's working! I loved the videos, posts and pictures.
Last week Chris took a day off. Yes, this is an occasion to blog because he hasn't taken a day off in a long time. Anyway, for a year we have been talking about getting a generator. We are on well water so when our electricity goes out we don't have water either. How do I know this? Our power has gone off several times over the past year for one reason or another and we have experienced the no water.
It took a lot of research, saving and feet dragging to get the job done but last week we finally got it hooked up. The reason Chris took the day off was so he could be here when the electricians showed up to hook it up. It went without a hitch.
After the electricians left we set Tristan up with a movie in the house (Kennedy was at her last day of preschool) and we went outside and hooked up the generator to test it and make sure we knew how to hook it up. It took us a few minutes to figure things out and we missed a step so we had to start over but we got it to work and I actually think I could do it myself. We feel much better knowing that if we were in an ice storm or hurricane that we could still have some power.
Here is cute Tristan on his couch where I found him after we figured out the generator. Isn't he cute? He fell asleep watching "Cars" his favorite movie.

Life and Science Museum

Since Monday was a holiday Kennedy didn't have preschool. My friend, Jennifer, called and asked me if we wanted to meet her and her two kids at the Life and Science Museum. Her daughter goes to preschool on opposite days as Kennedy so they don't get to play together very often.
I used to take my kids to the museum more often because Wednesday afternoons are free to Durham County residents. Now that Tristan takes one nap in the afternoon it is basically impossible to get there in time to make it worth it.
Last time we went to the museum Tristan was too little to get out and play. This time he really enjoyed it. Kennedy was interested in some older things too. They really liked the butterfly house. It really is a nice museum and they have made some great improvements since we moved here. I just might have to go back.

Saturday Yard Work

We had a beautiful day today. We spend the morning preparing a bed for some raspberry bushes. It's not quite time to plant yet--a few more weeks--but we ordered some plants and bushes through a catalog yesterday and thought that since it was such a nice day today we would work in the yard.
Kennedy and Tristan enjoyed playing outside. Kennedy has her own garden tools and enjoyed digging in the dirt with us. Tristan, on the otherhand, looks at the dirt and thinks, "buffet". When will he stop eating dirt?

Digital Scrapbooking

The last few years I have tried to make scrapbooks for my family. I have one for our family and one for each child. The past year or so it has become overwhelming and a task I did not want to take on. I knew there was something like digital scrapbooking but it wasn't until very recently that I looked into it. Now that I have a computer that can handle all the photos, downloading and web surfing I decided to give it a try. It helped that my computer came with the latest Photoshop Elements program.

With the help of my friend, Alison, I was lead to a website that guided me through my first tutorial. Tonight while my hubby was sitting on the couch watching the Duke/UNC basketball game I worked through this tutorial and made my first digital scrapbook page. I know it's not much but it's a start. I'm so excited. I hope I can keep up with the scrapbooking now that I have a novel way to do it.

What You've Missed

I just wanted to post this picture of my friend Rachel. I wrote about the quilt I made for her several months ago. She is seen in the picture with me. She tied it with her mother and I finished the binding for her.


Life has been busy lately but I thought I better blog so I can get some of it recorded anyway. I don't know why it's been so hard for me to blog since we moved. I am blaming it on the fact that our computer is in a different place and not as accessible.


Kennedy started preschool at the beginning of the month. She is so cute and loves it. I am enjoying the one-on-one time with Tristan but it seems most days are filled with naps or busy errands. I have managed to take him tot he park a few times though.


Last week was our women's conference. I was in charge providing two quilts for the service project. My mom donated two pieced quilts and made it that much easier for me. We had an activity where several women from the ward showed up to help tie. I had two more quilting sessions at my house. They are done and they were the cutest ones (if I do say so myself, thanks, Mom) of the group.


We have finally saved up some money to buy some new furniture. Our first project is the dining room. We purchased a table and some chairs last weekend and look forward to their arrival. It will be nice to start decorating our new home that we've lived in for almost six months now!
The furniture doesn't look very exciting from a tiny picture but in real life it's really nice. Simple but elegant. I am going to have a deep red and gold fabric on the seats. Fun stuff.

Mickey Mouse Park

Last Sunday we packed up the kids and flew to Orlando where we met two of my siblings, Alison and Steve, and their families. Before we left I knew it would be a great vacation but also very difficult. Tristan is still taking two naps a day and is not used to "sleeping on the go". Nevertheless, we love to travel and we haven't traveled much since Tristan was born 14 months ago so we gave it a shot.

We visited Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom but the best part was being there with family. Little Kennedy adores her cousins. Since we got back we she can't stop talking about Tamsyn, Megyn and Mandy-forget Mickey Mouse!

Some of the highlights from our trip were:

1. Being with family (of course)
2. Kennedy's face when she got to hug Alice in Wonderland



3. The Philharmagic show at Magic Kingdom
4. Baby giraffes at Animal Kingdom
5. Swimming with the kids
6. Free hot breakfast at the hotel!
7. Finding Nemo the Musical
8. Watching Kennedy entertain everyone

Home At Last

Yeah! I have my husband back! Chris has been gone for 10 days. He went to Utah for his brother's wedding, came back for less than 24- hours and had to go to work, then left for Florida for a meeting.


The kids and I went to the airport to pick Chris up last night. We stopped by the mall on the way home. We have to buy some appliances for our new house and need to start shopping. We looked at a few things then went to Chick-fil-a for dinner. When we picked Chris up Kennedy asked him if he got her a present. He was not in a good place for presents so instead he took Kennedy to Build-A-Bear, which is much better than a souvenir from Florida, if you ask me. We are all glad to have daddy back home, where he belongs.

Here are some pictures of my cute kids.

Kennedy with "Flat Stanley". We're helping a friend with her daughter's class project.

Everyone loves Grandma Mary!