New Camera!!!!

I have been wanting a SLR camera for awhile now. I am so excited that I finally got one over the weekend (thanks to another fantastic tax refund - mostly due to still getting money from our adoption tax credit)! The pictures are in a totally different league than our little point and shoot...and I have just been putting it on automatic so far. I have a lot to learn and hopefully I'll take the time to watch the DVD's that came with the camera so I can use it to it's full potential! Oh, I got a Nikon D60 for those who would wonder:).

So, here are some pics so far.

pitching a fit!

Now she is happy and cheesing for the camera!

concentrating on a computer game

KEEP SCROLLING DOWN FOR MORE.....

More Pictures!

cute husband

riding his scooter after church

Jeff wanted to try the camera out and took this one of me

These next few of Abigail are my favorite!!! How cute is she?!?

Sick Little Girl

For about the billionth time since November, Ellie Kate is sick. Seriously, it's been one thing after another for our sweet girl. She will finish an antibiotic and then a week later something else will come up. We spent the morning of her birthday a few weeks ago at the pediatrician and she had bronchitis. She did the 10 day antibiotics and finished them up on a Tuesday night. By Saturday, she was coughing again and congested. So, this past Tuesday I took her back in because she had a fever. The doctor checked her out and said it was viral and that she really didn't have a fever since is was just 99.9 (after she had tylenol I might add...but I digress). So by that afternoon her temp was up to 100.8. It would go down and then back up and by yesterday afternoon she was truly miserable with a high fever. So back to the ped we went this morning. After 2 1/2 hours, an x ray, and a breathing treatment, we were able to head home with a nebulizer machine for her wheezing and a strong antibiotic for an ear infection. The x ray was to rule out pnemonia...which she doesn't have thank goodness!



The pics above are of us doing the breathing treatment at home. Let me just say the first one at the doctors office looked NOTHING like this. It would be an extreme understatement to say that she hated it. She was screaming at me with wild eyes, hitting me, arching her back, and fighting me with every bit of adrenaline she had. I think I hurt my neck trying to hold her down and I just about had my own breakdown watching her like that. Thank goodness when we did it at home she was much better. I used a different mask and set her in front of our big screen TV with Imagination Movers on...she was pretty distracted by it. I'm hopeful that the nebulizer and new antibiotic will make her feel better....but if it's anything like the last 4 months have been...she will have something new in a few weeks. This winter cannot be over fast enough!!!

As Requested...

Well, here I am with the new cut. It's really NOT THAT dramatic...but it is so much easier to fix. My hair is super thick and takes FOREVER to dry so anytime there is less of it, that's a good thing. Speaking of less hair...mine is coming out in handfuls. I just love postpartum hair loss! HA!!!

And since I was posting pics, I couldn't resist some pictures from this past Sunday. I got to put the kids in spring clothes since it was so warm and they all looked so cute! And just so you know...Jeff was out of town last weekend so I got them all up and dressed and fed and to Church on time all by myself! Yay me (I told you I was coming out of the newborn fog)! The pic of Samuel and EK is the best I could do. She WOULD. NOT. POSE. Kind of like how she WILL.NOT.NAP right now....thanks to another round of some cold, cough, fever crap. Okay, now I'm rambling. Enjoy the pics!

Makeover

Not only have I given my blog a makeover....I am in the works of giving myself many makeovers. I'm coming out of the fog of having a newborn and adjusting to 3 kids. Things are starting to feel much more normal and kinda fun! So, I am in need of some major renovations! Having had 3 pregnancies and 2 babies and 2 surgeries in the last 2 or so years has taken it's toll physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Not to mention the 4 years of infertility before that. I want to be a mom who takes care of herself (most importantly in the spiritual realm of course, but also in the physical realm)!

Here are the things I have done so far (in easy to read bullet format)

• Got my hair chopped off into a cute and easy to fix style (maybe I'll take a picture soon)
• Got my eyebrows waxed
• Joined Weight Watchers Online last week (I have already lost 2 pounds of the 25 I want to lose)
• Bought this DVD so I have no excuse not to exercise if it's raining or cold outside

• I have walked outside with the kids 5 out of the last 6 days and done the above mentioned DVD once.
• I have been planning our weekly menu's for awhile now and it has been awesome. I feel much more organized
  

Here are the things I want to do

• Lose 23 pounds (this is mostly weight that was gained during infertility treatments as I have lost all but 2 pounds of the weight I gained with Abigail)
• Exercise 4-5 days a week
• Spend quality time reading (devotionals, the Bible, etc) and praying so that I can parent and love my kids out of an overflow of the Spirit in my life
  
• Clean out my closet and unpack the boxes that are not unpacked yet from our move this summer

I might be adding a weight loss ticker on this blog so I have some accountability. That is the key for me. I am motivated right now but I want to be accountable to my goal and be able to celebrate when I reach it!

My Buddy

Last week was Read Across America, apparently. They did stuff at Samuel's school like most around the country did. Last Monday was the book parade. The instructions were to dress up as your favorite character from your favorite book. So we talked with Samuel about it and the first thing he said was his favorite book was the Bible. He has been loving one of his children's bibles lately and taking it to school with him almost everyday to "show his friends". It's so sweet and really warms our heart to see him drawn to Christ at such an early age. Not to mention that one of the reasons he wants to do it is to tell his friends about Jesus! So anyway, we then asked him who his favorite character was from his bible and he immediately shouted JESUS!!! So, here he is all dressed up and ready for school...

They had to make a sign for the parade so people would know who they were dressed up as.

Samuel is doing so well. He is so tender hearted but at the same time still our wild, crazy, hyper, and active boy! It has been fun to see him grow and learn so much in the last few months. He is becoming such a big boy and we are so proud of him!

Bath Time Fun!

This was taken on Jeff's phone so it's not the best quality...but you can see how much fun they were having! Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the blog and pause the music player before you watch this. Ellie Kate's laugh is awesome...you don't want to miss this!