to drink or not to drink...

I know, I know....you have your own opinions already and you probably don't care about mine. Well, to that I say: Don't read my blog then. I have been thinking about this b/c James and I are becoming members of the Wesleyan Church (as soon as he finishes filling out some information). The Wesleyan Denomination is one that is close to my heart and when we participated in the membership classes recently it was confirmed to me that I actually DO believe the same things the Wesleyans believe. I always thought so, I had just never read the Wesleyan Statments of Faith (or whatever it's called).

James and I both grew up in this denomination, but we took very different paths in life. He took the path of alcohol and spent years in bars. I, on the other hand, have tasted alcohol a total of 6 times and have not enjoyed one drop. It tastes like cough medicine. I think it goes without saying that my husband no longer drinks*, but I said it anyway. We talk of this often in light of the fact that so many friends and family members drink on occasion. And some, like those buddy's he used to drink with, consume alcohol much more than occasionally. Here is an article he found recently that makes some good points.

I guess if you want to drink, no amount of logic/reasoning/arm-twisting is going to convince you to do otherwise. This does not mean I love you any less or that I think God loves you any less. That's for Him to decide. And, besides, I'm not posting this to convince you that my opinion is right or that you should change. It's simply for the sake of discussion and thought.



*the drinking that i am referring to is the consumption of alcohol, lest you believe that my husband is significantly dehydrated.

i miss us too.

i'm still alive. I didn't fall off the face of the earth (yet). I miss blogging, but it takes FOREVER and a day to upload pictures onto this thing and I don't have that kind of time anymore. Between Thanksgiving, 3 kids, getting ready for Christmas, 3 kids, James's random schedule, and did I mention 3 kids yet? well, with all that going on I've been absent from blogger. I'll be back soon. In the meantime, if you need a Catie/Lydia fix, so to my sister's new blog. i'll update pictures soon. i promise.










Ok, nevermind. you convinced me. i'm awake anyway.



this is how the girls like to watch tv.

my first blessing is 3

3 years ago on November 3rd I gave birth to my first baby girl. She has brought so much joy to my days since then. I have loved watching her learn and grow. I was surprised when she began walking at 9 months and even more surprised when she was talking in sentences at 20 months. She has always been an intelligent little girl with a sweet, sensitive spirit. She is a great big sister and a big helper to mommy. She is tempermental and frustrating, but when she looks at me and says "mommy I love you THIS MUCH", with her arms stretched as far apart as she can possibly get them, it melts my heart. I love her when she flashes that cute little girl smile after saying something unexpected and then laughs b/c she knows she's cute. I love her when she asks for "Power", wanting me to play the song "Power In The Blood" by Selah. I love her when she tries out a new word and messes it up just a little bit. ("Mommy, I need something to contain [entertain] me.") I love her when she sings "the deer song" ("Doe, a deer, a female deer...."). I love her when she prays before meals, thanking God for the food and asking Him to "bless it to our bodies". I love to hear her pray at bedtime and thank Jesus for "all of us". And i love when she has to tell us (every night) that "today is friday and daddy doesn't have to go to work and I love my room/windows/bed/music and we never painted my butterflies and I love you. mwah. bye."

My sweet Boogie, you bring joy to my life daily and I thank God for you. Thank you for your sweetness and your love of life. My prayer is that I will be the mommy that you need and you would grow into a beautiful, independent daughter of the King. I love you THIS MUCH!!!!!

Breakfast fit for a birthday girl. It's no worse than donuts (according to daddy). James also brought home a bouquet of Gerber Daisies.

This was dessert at lunchtime. 3 candles made it a birthday dessert. :)

yep...My Little Pony was the theme of her birthday party.

This was the real birthday cake, although I think we may have stumbled onto a good birthday tradition...candles at every meal. It just seemed to make the day (all day) a little more special.

I made this:

It's potpie and it's delicious!!! And because I'm a generous person I'm going to share this recipe with you...all 3 of you. I hope you make it too.

2 cups cubed meat. I used ham, but the recipe calls for chicken and also suggests turkey.

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 can (18 1/2 oz) ready-to-serve cream of potato soup

1 refrigerated pie pastry.

In a bowl combine the meat, veggies, and soup. pour into a pie pan. roll out pastry on top; trim, seal and flute edges.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

This can also be frozen. I haven't tried to do this, but I will include those instructions and you can let me know how it goes when you do it. ;)

Remove frozen pie from freezer (or the cabinet if that's where you keep your frozen foods....doesn't it seem strange that the instructions would actually tell you where to get it from?) anyway.....Remover frozen pie from the freezer 30 minutes before baking...do not thaw. cover edges of crust loosely with foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees (I don't know how to make that little circle symbol so i have to type out "degrees".); remove foil. Bake 60-65 minutes longer or until golden.

mmmm....ENJOY!!!

Things I plan to do to keep my family healthy.

Last winter we spent a LOT of time being sick. Well, I'm sick and tired of it. I've always been fairly healthy (except when I was a small child) so these past few winters have been rough on me. I can't figure out why we are always getting sick. So here is a list of things that I plan to do to help (hopefully) keep my family on the healthier side of life this winter.

These things may seem like common sense to a lot of people, but this mommy things doesn't come easy to me. On the other hand, I'm a nurse by profession and SHOULD know these things already. Well, I'm kindof a slow learner and I've been focused on being a mom, so the nurse in me is off duty. And that's a good thing, b/c when she does come around she starts freaking out about all the sickness and such. Seriously...she's not welcome here very often.


So....here's my list:

Sleep: I plan to get the girls in bed at a reasonable time every night and down for naps every day.

activities: When we are out, we will try to get back to the house to get good sleep instead of returning at 8 or 9pm and then putting them down for bed late. (see "sleep").

eating: I plan to make healthy meals every night (except maybe one) instead of eating out. This will require planning and some good recipes, but I have a new oven that I am loving so maybe I'll cook more often.

Vitamins: I bought vitamins for the girls to eat. We'll see. I don't have a lot of faith in things like that, but I should b/c I'm a nurse. sheesh!

Cleanliness: I plan to bath my girls more often. haha...that sounds funny. Their hair takes so long to dry, but that needs to be something I learn to deal with. I also plan to clean my house more often and better. I'm not much of a cleaner. My house is not gross, but it's certainly not disinfected regularly like it should be. I will also require them to wash their hands WAY more often, even when just around the house and we will use hand sanitizer when out of the house.

fresh air: since I don't plan to go places much, I will allow the girls time outside regularly. This will be difficult if James doesn't have the time to take them out b/c I can't take Miriam out, but I will allow them to put on coats and boots and run around the porch for 15 minutes.

Laughter: Since this is the best medicine, I plan to tickle my girls and wrestle with them on a regular basis. They are craving one on one time with me, especially in these past few months with Miriam requiring so much of my attention and James' schedule being so screwed up. I will give that to them daily.

Prayer: I will pray that the Great Healer will keep us all away from sickness and protect my little ones when they do get sick, b/c, let's face it....it will happen and I just need to be prepared for it.

I will do these things b/c I love them. I mean, really, who couldn't love these faces?!

Evenings are rough.

A few good things have happened recently.

My girls are healthy. Lydia's nose is still a bit runny, but not constantly.

Miriam is sleeping most of the night. She goes to sleep around 9:30pm and wakes b/w 4 and 5 am then back to sleep until 8 or 9 which gives me some time with the big girls in the morning. I'm also figuring out her daytime schedule and today got a 3 1/2 hour nap while the older girls slept for 2 hours.

2 jobs were posted that James has requested. One is M-F Days at Headquarters. The other is M-F Days at the Diesel Plant. We heard about the job at headquarters a month ago and I have been praying specifically for that job since. Please pray with me.

The girls seem to be noticing James NOT being home at times he USED to be home. They miss him. I miss consistency. We need a change.

a new life

While James was home helping me after Miriam's birth he got a call from Corning, Inc. letting him know that when he returned to work he would no longer be working day shift at the Big Flats plant. Instead he would work relief shift at the Erwin plant. I have to say...we are thankful he has a job. There have been a lot of layoffs throughout Corning as well as the other companies in the area, so I won't complain too much, but let me give you a taste of what his schedule will be like.



day, day, eve, off, off, night, night, night, night, day, eve, eve, off, off, off, off, night, day, day, eve, eve, eve, eve, off, night, night, day, day, day, day....and repeat ad nauseum.


He is checking the Corning job postings daily and has been informed of 2 positions that should be posted soon. Please pray with me that he gets the M-F Day job at headquarters by the end of the year. I am praying specifically for this. We have not b/c we ask not, right?

Until that happens, I am trying to step up and make the most of this schedule. It's currently very difficult since all 3 girls and myself are sick. Sleep is necessary in my life for me to stay healthy and 8 hours straight doesn't happen with a 2 months old (although she sleeps from 9:30 pm until 5 am most nights).

Speaking of sleep...Miriam seems to be sleeping now so I need to get to bed.

Wondering....

Why must there be tears involved in every single day?

(And if I had more time or energy I might elaborate on that.)

recent happenings..

---Catie is potty trained. she wears pull-ups for naps, bedtime and leaving home, but is usually dry (except after a full night of sleep)

---James started back to work at a new location (tonight is his first night shift. Pray for us.)

---Miriam smiled. It's so sweet when that happens. It's a bit of a reward for my work.

---Lydia peed in the potty...after telling me (in her own special way since she doesn't talk much) that she needed to pee.

---I got a new vacuum. my old one just want cutting it and I LOVE to vacuum.

---A deer ran into my little green Sentra that James drives daily. (no, he did not hit the deer...the deer actually ran into the side of the car.)

---Lydia chewed through her paci so we took it away since it was a serious choking hazard. She's been struggling the past few naps/bedtimes. She's got a strong set of lungs.

---Miriam has her first cold. She's miserable. I'm miserable. and, as they say, when Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!!! ugh!!

---MOPS started for the year.

---I'm in a friday morning Bible Study (child care provided...Praise the LORD!!!) and I love it.

---James is part of a leadership Bible Study at one of our Pastors' homes one tuesday a month.

---My friend Kiley came to visit with her 4 kids. We were friends our freshman year of college at Houghton, but lost contact when I left. Thanks to Facebook we have a friendship again and it was so nice to sit and visit with her.

I like it when things happen, but the illness and the temper tantrums I can do without. oh, and the deer. :)

what kind of mom are you?

I'm going to type an excerpt from a book, but I don't exactly know how to cite it. It's from the book "Real Moms, Exploding the Myths of Motherhood" by Elisa Morgan and Carol Kuykendall. I hope that's good enough to not get me into trouble for plagerism.



"I have this theory. There are three kinds of women. There's the woman who has always known (like, from birth) that she has wanted to be a mother, and she is fantastic at it, thriving in this role. (In fact, for her, it's not a role; it is who she is to the core.) On the other end of the spectrum is the woman who (also, almost from birth) has always known that she did NOT want to be a mother, and she finds her womanly fulfillment in a myriad of other ways throughout her life. Then there's the other one in the middle somewhere, the one who wants to be a mom but is the kind that does not automatically love all children. (She loves hers completely and cares infinitely for the children of her friends and extended family, but that's about the extent of it.) For her, mothering is amazing but isn't necessarily the defining factor in her life. I have always candidly believed I have fallen into the middle category. I love my kids, but this mothering thing sort of rubs me the wrong way sometimes. Requiring much more selflessness than I ever would have guessed and much more than I seem to have at my disposal to dole out. I have these longings--to do so much more, to be so much more--a longing to still be the one being taken care of, instead of the consummate caregiver."

I am the middle mom. I love my girls, but some days I long for freedom. I look forward to them growing up. I don't let my babies sleep with me. I encourage my kids to walk as early as possible (Catie took steps at 9 1/2 months. Lydia, at 10 1/2 months). I wasn't sad when Catie moved into her toddler bed. I imagine that I might have tears in my eyes when they each go off to school, but I'll also know that it's a step in the inevidable direction. I wonder what sports they will play and who their friends will be. I look forward to seeing who they become as young women in college and what career choice they make. I envision what their wedding invitations might look like and what it will be like to see each of them stand up as maids-of-honor at each others weddings. I don't think this makes me a bad mom as long as I also pay attention to the moments of these young days. If you are the first kind of mom, you may understand me as little as I understand you.

Welcome Fall

I love this season. Part of the reason we purchased our house is b/c it is surrounded by trees and when fall comes around we are surrounded by color. (If you want to come enjoy it please stop by.) I love the smells of fall, the food of fall, the festivals of fall. I love the chill in the air and the need to put an extra blanket on my bed. I love seeing my deer again as they come out of the woods into my yard. I love baking apple pies and pumpkin cookies. I love making chili and chicken soup. I even love that winter is on it's way, but that's another post.

My only argument with fall is that it bring memories with it. And not all those memories are good. This year it will have been 8 years since Andrew's death and I still dread that part of fall. September 30 was his birthday. October 22nd was the day of his surgery. November 2 is the day printed on his death certificate. I chose to greive well when he died. I decided that if I had to go through it I was going to do it right. I didn't want any lingering emotions bottled up inside for years to come. I wanted to get it ALL out. That is still true. When I enter into the fall season I have to face that grief again every year, and I'm still choosing to do it well.

A friend posted this recently and I think she phrases it well: "be overtaken by pain". That's the only way to get to the other side. Grief isn't a nice little stream to cross while pulling up your pantlegs. You can't just tiptoe your way through and expect to survive. It's a raging river that runs so deep your head can't stay above. The only way to get to the other side is to be overtaken. Let the river run over you and take you where it wants to go. The end results will always be worth the near drowning. It's got to be better than feeling like you're drowning for the rest of your life. I thank God that He gave me the strength to be overtaken. Which, I think, is another important point. It can't be done without God. Trusting Him to join you in the river, to be the Breath of Life when you can't catch yours. He knows the river. He created it. He can get you through safely and help you get established on the other side.

At times like this, when I am forced to remember that horrible time, I have to remind myself to continue to trust and grieve well. I'm not afraid to talk about Andrew or to remember him. Sometimes I dig out pictures and just sit and think about who he was and remind myself that it's ok to miss him. He was my best friend for years. And on the other side of that grief and those memories are blessings "beyond all we could ask or imagine". I have 4 that live and breath, but SOOOO many more that are not tangible. I have been blessed.

So, Welcome Fall!!! Bring on the goodness and bring on the painful memories b/c I'm trusting God with my pain and my blessings.

What's in a name?

I always wanted my children to have names with meaning. Not just the kind of meaning you can put on a bookmark that you buy at a Christian bookstore, but the kind that adds significance to their life. The kind they can grow up proud of. The kind they can talk about and pass on to their own children.

When we chose Cate's name it was fairly easy. "Catherine" was the name of my maternal grandmother. "Margaret" was the name of my paternal grandmother and also my middle name. So, Catie is "Catherine Margaret".

We had a bit more difficulty naming Lydia. We just couldn't come up with anything until the last few months of my pregnancy. James's mom is "Linda Elaine". We weren't fond of the name "Linda", so we chose "Lydia Elaine" instead.

Part of the reason I was hoping for a boy this time was b/c I had NO IDEA what we would name a little girl. We have boy names lined up for miles, but no girl names.

One day the girls were watching a Veggie Tales video about Moses and James said "Miriam is a nice name". I was blown away. Not once during the previous 2 pregnancies has James suggested a name. That was my job. He just got to veto all of them. I liked the name as well and it stuck. Daddy picked out Miriam's name and I think it's so sweet.

Her middle name, "Kristin", came from one of my closest friends. I have a lot of friends that I would be happy for my girls to immitate in life, but if they turned out to be EXACTLY like Kristin I would love it. She is one of those people that encourages without saying a word. When I have a chance to visit with her, whether it's on the phone or in person, I feel refreshed. Everyone should have a friend like that and I hope my girls, especially Miriam, can be that kind of friend.

We love you Kris! I can't wait for you to meet Miriam Kristin.

the birth story.

Miriam was due on the 10th of August. That day came and went with NO progress. I walked. I hiked. I cleaned. I ran a marathon...ok, so that's a lie. I was done being pregnant though. With each of my pregnancies I have had a fairly easy time. My body seems to enjoy being pregnant, but these girls get uncomfortably low in my belly for the last...well...for the entire pregnancy, it seems. The pain I feel related to this gets significantly worse toward the end and this pregnancy was worse in the last days than the other two. That, combined with my doctor's preferring that I deliver on or before 41 weeks and thinking that this baby could be 8+ lbs led us to do an elective induction. We chose the 14th. Why not.

The big girls went to Gma's and Gpa's on thursday night and we went to the hospital on friday morning. The nurse and the doctor had trouble determining how dilated I was and, finally, the doctor said I was NOT dilated, but was about 50% effaced. In the office I had been about 1 cm and 50% (ok, so i lied about the "no progress" thing, but as far as I was concerned that's not progress.) We decided to use Cervidil and hope that kick starts things with the expectation that we would do Pitocin if it didn't.

When the doctor gave me the Cervidil she realized I was 3 cm and 80% effaced. PRAISE THE LORD!! The decision was made to walk the halls for a few hours and see what happened. During that very brisk (b/c i was determined that this was going to work) walk i had contractions that seemed to be about 10 minutes apart, but weren't too intense. By 11:15, I was exhausted from walking. Unfortunately, the nurse determined that I was only about 2.5 cm and 80% effaced. UGH!!! How disappointing. Tears followed and James and I discussed our options. We thought about going home and letting it happen naturally, since it seemed as though something wanted to start, but, in the professional judgment of the nurse, I wasn't likely to start on my own for a few days at least.

We were there for the purpose of bringing home our little girl, so that's what we were going to do.

By this time it was almost noon. James went to get lunch and the nurse came to start the Pitocin. I wanted an epidural, but waited until James came back at 12:30. I was having contractions in that time, but nothing too bad.

And then came the worst part of the day....the epidural. The doctor that showed up to do it was the best I was told. That reassured me a little. When I had an epidural for Catie's delivery my blood pressure bottomed out and I felt like I was going to die. Honestly...it was the scariest moment of my life. I passed out and needed to be given ephedrine (basically, adrenaline) to bring my pressure back up. Then I vomited and felt ok. This time I struggled while he put in the epidural. I felt the pressure and even a bit of discomfort and, I'll admit, I was a wimp. I cried. I whined. I held onto James's arm with a death grip. I think James struggled more though. The nurse thought he was going to pass out. He told me later that he thought I was in a LOT of pain. Like I said...I was a wimp. I'm scared of epidurals. The thought of a needle entering my back doesn't sit well with me.

(At this point I was 5cm dilated and the nurse told me she was going to start getting the room ready for delivery b/c she didn't trust me. She thought I was going to go quickly. This made me happy. This was also about the time the doctor broke my water.)

Once the epidural was in, I had to know what my pressure was every time it was checked. The nurse had drawn up the ephedrine just in case, but my pressure held. I still felt very anxious, so I held oxygen near my face and I tried to rest. I think I did sleep a little.

By 2pm I was 6/7 cm and by 3 i was 8/9cm. That's when the doctor was called to come in. At 3:40 I was able to push. Delivery gets easier (HAHAHA) with each child. I think it has a lot to do with knowing HOW to do it. With that first push I wanted to quit, but, knowing that was not an option, I decided that if I was going to have to do it, I might as well do it right. 2 pushes total and Miriam was born at 3:47pm. It wouldn't have taken that long, but she had the cord around her neck once and needed a LOT of suctioning. She was also transverse, meaning she was facing my hip. James told me later that the doctor actually took hold of her head and turned her. He was hoping the body was turning with that head. She was born beautiful and fully intact at 7# 15oz. and 20 in. long.When our ultrasound was done at 20 weeks, the U/S tech wasn't 100% sure she was a SHE. We didn't share this info and just planned for a girl. When she was born though, noone even checked to be sure of the gender, so I asked.

She's a she.

I love having 3 daughters. Catie and Lydia adore her...a bit too much. I fear for her safety at times.

She has been great about sleeping and eating on a regular schedule. She's done at about 9 or 10pm and sleeps until 1 am. then 4am and 7am feedings. I don't plan for this to continue, but choose to enjoy it each time it happens. (by the way, I'm a professional formula-feeding mom. Seriously...I've got it down to a science. :) )

Life is different with the 3rd. I'm so much more relaxed which translates to Miriam being much more relaxed. What a life!!!! I am thanking the Lord for His blessings and waiting for my body to recover completely.

This man is the best daddy a little girl can have.

I'm pretty happy to have her here.

She was getting cleaned up...the nurse gave her a mohawk.

A big yawn as we were leaving the hospital. (one of my favorites.)

There are a lot more pictures on FB....check those out as well, if you haven't already.

a little less annoyed, but I'm hoping I'm still irritable

Here's the scoop. I've signed up to be induced tomorrow morning. After much prayer for wisdom and patience, a LOT of thinking, and a significant discussion with my husband I am at peace with this decision. There are many factors that we have considered. The most important one being the size of this baby which is already estimated to be over 8#. I am making no progress, let me repeat that more emphatically.........NO PROGRESS, as far as dilating/effacing. With my other 2 I was dilated and significantly effaced at least a week before my due date. As far as I can tell, the longer I wait, the more this child grows and I could likely need to be induced anyway. or worse...need a c-section r/t the size of the baby. I, myself, was a 10# 8oz infant born on August 23 after a due date of around August 10. Oh, and I was the 3rd baby. See what I'm saying?! :) James also made a point of reminding me that Dr. Scalzone was willing to induce at 38 weeks if I had wanted to with Lydia. As conservative as he is, he does tend to listen to the mom...which is probably why I like him so much. :)

I would appreciate your prayers that the Lord would simply put me into labor naturally over the course of the next 12+ hours. If that doesn't happen, I would like the Cervidil to stimulate labor without needing Pitocin. Wouldn't that be absolutely wonderful?! I feel as though my body is ready...ha...you might disagree since it is not IN labor currently, but I'm trying not to care. :) It seems that when I hear an opinion that is against induction, my peace is stolen and I start to second guess our decision. I don't need to be doing that. I need to make a decision and go with it until the Lord, Himself, removes the peace without help from others.

So that's my story. I have yet to decide if I will post anything on facebook about the induction specifically. I might just let it happen and then post afterward. Who knows....

Thank you for your prayers and your support. I'll keep you posted.

annoyed and irritable

I'm annoyed at myself for putting stock into the thought that I could/would/should deliver early based on the fact that Lydia was early and fast. I wish I had continued to think of my due date as August 14 and this feeling of annoyance wouldn't exist in my life (yet).

I went to another Dr.'s appt. today and found out nothing is happening. NOTHING!!! I had to have an ultrasound yesterday b/c I'm past my due date and my amniotic fluid might be low. Are you kidding me?! Who do you think this is?! Of course, my fluid isn't low! My body LOVES to be pregnant and would never do anything to jeopardize the current pregnancy or the possibilty of another one in the future. Today they did a non-stress test to be sure the baby is tolerating things well. Again--have you met me or my children for that matter!? My little girls are indestructible!! No amount of past due-ness would cause them any bit of distress.

(Don't get me wrong...I consider myself blessed. I would not trade my situation for one in which the child is in danger or distress. I love the fact that my body tolerates pregnancy so well. I love that I can be fairly certain that my pregnancies will result in a healthy baby. At the moment, I'm just really tired. Tired of being pregnant. Tired of waiting to meet her. Tired of being in limbo with the rest of my plans for the month.)

My doctor, whom I trust completely, is on vacation. If he were here I don't know that he would've rushed to do these two tests so quickly, but the PA wanted to be extra cautious I guess. I miss my doctor. I wish he had chosen a better time to be on vacation than weeks 40 and 41 of my pregnancy. The PA, whom I like, would prefer that I not go beyond 41 weeks. THAT'S MONDAY!!!! I don't want to be induced at all, let alone being induced this week!!! My doctor is fairly conservative. That's what I like best about him. I would simply like to know his opinion. I think I will call his nurse in the morning and ask her what she thinks. I respect her opinion as well.

I consider myself irritable b/c that's what the nurse told me. (yep, the same nurse I respect.) :) When she did the non-stress test she said that my uterus was showing signs on irritability. That's a good thing, but I'm trying to pretend I didn't even hear it.

Please pray for me. I'm annoyed. I'm irritable.

for those of you who want to see me pregnant and can't...

(My husband has never claimed to be a very good photographer. And I have never claimed to be photogenic.)

Leaving on a jet plane

One of James's Christmas gifts this past year was a gift certificate for a sightseeing flight. We finally got to use it a few weeks ago. It was not the most clear day, but we were happy to see as far as we were able. We were also able to include the girls in our trip. Catie had to be in her carseat b/c of FAA requirements, but Lydia was held on my lap. Seriously....What good did it do to have Cate in a seat and Lydia not. If that plane went down neither would've survived. I guess it might have something to do with mobility? who knows. seems kinda silly.

Catie actually HATED the ride. She fought with James when he tried getting her into her carseat. I thought about staying behind, but figured once we got going she would stop crying and enjoy the flight. That was only partially true. She settled down, but still says she didn't like it. Lydia, on the other hand, loved it and did a great job just hanging out on my lap while looking out the window.

Our first sight to see was our house. This is the part Catie enjoyed the most. She could see her playground and little kiddie pool. We tried to spot the dog, but we were a bit too high for my poor eyesight. She still talks about that part of the trip.

That was also the point when I started to regret going. We circled the house once and I became nauseous. Then I remembered....the only time I threw up while pregnant with Lydia was when we were flying home from my brother's wedding in Indiana and had to circle Dulles a few times before we could land. I had hoped the nausea would pass once we got going straight, but it didn't and I just prayed that I would be able to enjoy the rest of the hour flight without getting worse.

This is a picture of our property. In the bottom right corner is our little pond with my Martin House (the white dot). Catie's playset is in the middle of the yard and the blue dot b/w the playset and the house is her kiddie pool.

The next sight we saw was Keuka Lake. We really do live in an amazing area. If you can see through the propeller you can see that. :)

This next picture was taken while flying over the Bluff (a peninsula the comes halfway down the lake). It was not surprising to see this "USA" sign in the farm land. What a beautiful sight it was though.

Our pilot is also an instructor and allowed James to fly for about 15 minutes. He taught him some things about the rutters which made the plane tip/turn/etc. And remember that nausea? yep, it was still present and persistent. And about the time James was flying I threw up. I'm fairly sure it had nothing to do with his flying since the nausea was with me for the entire flight. I was glad that it went away a bit after throwing up, but I still didn't feel well for most of the day.

The pilot allowed me to get proof that James was doing the flying....

Another highlight of the flight was seeing the Watkins Glen International Raceway from the air. Last year we went to the track for the NASCAR race in August. It only takes about 20 minutes to get there from our house, and I drive by it whenever I go to my sister's, but seeing it from this angle was just so cool.

Catie did pretty good. It was nice to be needed by her when it really counted. So often she goes to daddy and I feel useless, but she really wanted to snuggle with me for the whole flight.

Lydia was quite the opposite. She loved looking out the window and even fell asleep for the last 15 minutes. We had expected Catie to respond like this and enjoy the flight, but I'm now wondering if there is a point when children begin to learn what danger and fear are.

I'm glad we had the opportunity to do this. I highly recommend seeing your home area from a different perspective....just don't do it if you're pregnant.

printing a retraction:

I have to change my previous statement that my husband is in the "above average intelligence" category regarding the results of his IQ test. He is, in fact, of "superior intelligence" or "gifted" depending on the site you check. He, personally, does not care what anyone thinks of him, but I wanted to be sure to be accurate. Plus, I am very proud of his intelligence and want to make sure that I accurately portray how brilliant my man really is.

a month in a nutshell

We've tried to stay busy during the month of July to make it seem to fly by...it did.

We started out going to our annual Family Camp at Chambers Wesleyan Camp. The girls love staying in the camper and playing with friends and cousins. We got to spend a lot of time together as a family since James was able to use some vacation time. This was unexpected. He usually plans to work since he only has to travel 15 minutes from the campground to get there.

This is a picture of him and the girls in the creek.

We also took a trip to Buttermilk Falls State Park in Ithaca, NY. We got to spend that day with Aaron and Sherry and their kids Isabel, Nathanael, Isaac and Simeon. It was so nice to hang out with them. The gorge trail was a little treacherous for small children, but we managed to make it to the bottom safely. Then we sent the guys back up to the upper parking lot for the vehicles while the kids played. The perfect ending to the day was a trip to Purity Ice Cream shop. yummm...

One night we took a spontaneous trip down to Corning to play in the fountain. The girls LOVED it and the timing was perfect. There weren't many people there at 6pm yet it was still pretty warm out.

We've also spent a lot of time at home...playing on the playset, swimming in the kiddie pool, and wrestling with the dog. These are some of Catie's favorite activities.

We've done more than this, though. There was a trip to the Yates County Fair, time spent with Mima and Papa and Grandma and Grandpa. We've had friends visit and we've gone to visit friends as well. It's been very busy, but noone seems to be complaining.

On top of all of our outings and activities, I have tried to prepare for this baby a little. I finally got the clothes, carseat and swing down from the attic. I've done a lot of cleaning around the house including removing screens and washing windows...inside and out. I just wish this little one would show her face before my doctor goes on vacation ON MY DUE DATE!!

i'm one smart cookie!!!

I have an IQ of 123 according to a free test at www.iqtest.com. That's considered "above average intelligence". James took the test first and scored 131, also considered "above average intelligence". I thought for sure my brain would be mush after having these children, but it seems that I can still think of things other than "how will what I'm doing right now affect her for the rest of her life?"

More blogs to come...really...I haven't forgotten about you.

colonial days...this might have been their first parade.

Snack time before the parade.

Sometimes they have these moments and it makes me smile.

Here comes the parade.

LONG overdue...sorry Jodi :)

A friend from college came to visit a few weeks ago. She drove 6 hours from mid-Ohio with an 18-month-old without getting lost!! She's braver than me, that's for sure. We took a day and went up to the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester. We met another friend and her daughter there. The kids LOVED it.

Mother Goose gave me a break and took care of the girls for a moment. She'd make a good nanny if she was real.

Catie and Judah playing checkers in the Sesame Street area. Not sure who won, but I'm sure it was a riveting match.

Lydia could've spent the entire day by the aquariums. I think I need to find a real aquarium to visit with the girls sometime. Anyone know of a good one?

Naomi's mom, Jenelle, and I grew up going to the same camp, then ended up at the same college. We hope our girls will get to grow up together at Chambers Camp as well.

I don't think that taking his flower is the BEST way to get across the troll's bridge....

Catie shared a special moment with the Berenstein Bears.

And, finally, a ride on the carousel at the end of a fun (long, exhausting) day.

call it whatever you want cause i can't think of a title.

On our way home from Aunt Kristin's wedding we stopped at the Binghamton Zoo. The girls enjoyed it, even though it was small. I think they would've stayed by the goats for hours, but we thought it might be nice to see some of the other animals. At the base of the zoo is a free carousel. Catie was so excited b/c she has been on a carousel before, but Lydia wasn't sure what to think at first. She enjoyed it, though.

Lydia doesn't often get to take baths by herself, but on this rare occasion James took Catie to Home Depot with him and Lydia got to play by herself in the water. Well.....sortof by herself. Jericho loves to eat the bubbles so Lati spent the majority of her time alone just "feeding" him.

Another rare occasion: the girls snuggling and eating ice chips while watching a movie.

Bluebirds are not so rare around our house. I LOVE them. We have both males and females so hopefully they will multiply. Speaking of multiplying....our deer seem to have multiplied as well. This has got to be one of the 2009 babies born in our woods. I will never tire of seeing things like this.

Aaron and Kristin Mercer

Aaron and Kristin were married in the Lake George area on May 31st. I was a bridesmaid and Catie was the flower girl. We had such a nice time, but taking pictures was not a priority with everything that was going on.

Lydia found her own entertainment at the reception. Anyone want a shoe?

It was quite windy while trying to take pictures. Look how cute Catie is holding her "Aunt Kristin's" hand.

These pictures are a little backwards. This was from rehearsal. Catie wanted nothing to do with the wedding at that point, but Lydia thought that carrying that pretty basket and walking around in front of people was a great way to spend the evening.

Sitting pretty on the morning of the wedding.