Thank You!!!

thanks SO much for all of your prayers and well wishes for my pregnancy! i have an ultrasound when i get back from vacation to give me my exact due date. i was never good at keeping track of my monthly deal! i also have 2 apts. set up already with the high risk dr. and my regular obgyn. so the ball is rolling and i AM getting more excited...just still a little wigged out. i always wondered how parents of 3+ kids did it.....i guess you just go with the flow and take on whatever comes your way....it is a blessing and i am very grateful... so thank you!
one of my neighbors hired a DARE officer to come to our neighborhood and talk to the kids tonight....i thought this was a great idea but i didn't know there was a "reason" behind it....come to find out a few weeks ago there was a man in a car that had stopped in one of the culdasacks where there were several kids playing and asked the kids if they had seen his lost puppy....well, one of the dad's had seen this car stopped so he went outside and when the man saw him coming he drove off! he didn't get his license plate no. but hopefully he remembers the car! so we're all a little freaked out about that....no matter how many times you tell your kids NOT to talk to strangers all it takes is for them to throw in the "puppy" and the kids are hooked! so very scary!!! and we live in a small subdivision that is tucked down into a secluded area with one way in and one way out! i really hope the kids will listen and learn from this officer tonight!
we're on vacation tomorrow....hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of july!!!
hugs! k

Monday Monday....

good morning...hope everyone had a great weekend! ours was nice. didn't do much, but sometimes that's ok too! we have a busy week....swimming lessons, tumbling and then it's a car trip back home to visit! for years my folks have always thrown a big family 4th of july shindig @ their lake home....and this year we're finally going to join the festivities. i'm looking forward to seeing family we haven't seen in several years! unfortunately, this may be the last 4th of july party at their lake home. their in the process of looking for a different house closer to town and in north dakota. minnesota taxes on lake property is outrageous i guess and as they age it's best they be closer to a town with a hospital.
thought i would share a few pictures with you.... a layout i did of lauren playing soccer... a recent picture of kati....and a picture of my secret!
yup, it's true...we can't believe it either! one would think that after taking maybe 2 tests a person would come to grips with it and realize that false positives aren't all that common. i bought my first test at target and had to hit the bathroom before we even left the store. i cried. then on the way home from target i ran into walgreens. thought maybe if i spent a few extra bucks on a test it would give me different results. nope. new day...new test or two. finally the 5th test i waited until first thing in the morning. and i made sure i peed on the stick just right, no funny angles, counting the correct number of seconds it tells you to pee on the stick.....POSITIVE! oh boy!!!! we totally thought we were done! in fact terry doesn't think i should be telling anyone because i haven't had the best pregnancies and then had a miscarriage. (i'm only about 5-6 weeks) but being as that i wasn't all that happy about it in the first place i really wanted to tell people so i could feel better about it! i knew if i told people i would get a good reaction! people would be happy for us and in return maybe i could be happy too. and don't get me wrong, it's NOT like i'm not happy...i am. it's just scary. lauren was 4 weeks early, kati was 7 weeks early and spent 17 days in the NICU and then i had a miscarriage. but i keep telling myself there is a reason i am pregnant again. it's like god is giving us one last chance to have a healthy baby. i haven't seen the dr. yet. but i do have an apt. scheduled. she's nearly impossible to get into! she's a high risk dr. so i should be in good hands for hopefully a full 9 months! i did go in and had the blood test taken. not like i needed another test to tell me i was pregnant :)
the only other bad thing is the hospital she delivers at is a good 30-40 min. away. i didn't know i was in labor with kati. i felt crappy all wk. end but never thought it was labor. i have a high tolerance for pain....and the contractions didn't feel like contractions.....the drive to our hospital in ak was about 30 min. i delivered kati 11 min. after getting to the hospital! so i guess i'm a little wigged out about having a long drive and tons of traffic to fight....so if you think of it, say a little prayer for the life growing inside me....and that we can spend a full 9 months growing together!

Just for Fun...

finally getting around to creating a layout just for fun! i've had these pictures of the girls for a while now and they probably aren't the best pictures, lauren is looking pretty goofy in the one...but i still love the pictures and had to use them! the pictures of course only portray one side of their personalities....they aren't always so lovey dovey towards eachother! but most of the time!
geez, it's been hot here and when on earth is it going to rain? took the girls to the pool again yesterday....always a fun treat to cool off!
cutting this post short...lots to get done today....hopefully by next week i can share my secret!

Fathers Day!

can you believe it's the 3rd week in june already....crazy! happy fathers day! not that many "fathers" read my blog but thought i'd send the greeting out there anyway! terry is spending the afternoon golfing. which is fine, it's his day....not sure what we'll do later, maybe dinner?
can't say i have anything all that exciting to chat about...one last assignment to go and i'll be done, until the next one that is....then hopefully i can create some fun stuff just because!
i received a few e-mails and a couple of posted comments wondering what my secret is....hmmmm? i was wondering if anyone would catch that in my last post? can't share just yet....but i will do so soon. i'm terrible at keeping "fun" secrets of my own but i had better wait on this one...don't want to get in trouble.
well, since i don't have anything to report i'll close with this cute picture of kati. poor thing was trying to play and i kept making her look up at me! i'm surprised i was able to get such a cute picture. cheers!

a New Day...

well, only 2 projects to go! whooo! and i'm almost done with the one. i just realized i have this process i have to go through...and i think it's one i need to use when i muster my way through just about anything.
*i think about it
*i tinker with it
*i walk away
*i go back
*i think about it some more
*i look for inspiration
*i go back....and it hits me! so relieved!
aside from projects we've been busy with swimming lessons and gymnastics. i'm a little disappointed with the gymnastics class. it's a very introductory class, which is fine. it's been 2 years since lauren has been in a tumbling class so i thought this would be good for her to refresh and relearn the basics. well, the teacher (bless her heart) is all of 16, has an audience of parents staring at her and has a class of uncontrollable kids. well, just 2 boys! OMG these 2 boys were out of control. the parents were pretty embarrassed but it's hard for me to think lauren will get much out of it when there is so many distractions. hopefully she will and we can move on to the Gym Quarters...it's a facility that teaches only gymnastics.
so i was having a difficult time thinking of something for terry for fathers day...well, i know of several things he wants but my little ol' budget just isn't enough for me to provide him with these nice gifts....so he's been talking about golfing again so i talked to a neighbor and asked him if he knew of a nice golf course where i could purchase a couple of rounds for terry for fathers day. so i order these over the phone and they send them in the mail. SO...guess what....even tho' this envelope had MY name on it....terry thought it was some sort of advertising thing or something so he OPENED it! putz! and here i was all pumped cuz i thought of a nice/fun gift. note to self: do not order things over the phone and have them mailed to the house if i want it to remain a secret!
well, i was reading another blog and came across this little "questioners" so i thought i would play along....kind of fun...

I AM: blessed
I WANT: good health and happiness for family and friends.
I HAVE: a partner who makes me laugh, drives me crazy, loves me, and fits perfectly into the life I once dreamed about.... & "i have" a secret!
I WISH: upon stars & that kati was potty trained :)
I HATE: unfriendly people.
I MISS: my family, old friends, my dog, & seeing mountains out my window
I HEAR: kati rootin' around in bed
I WONDER: what my children will be when they grow up
I REGRET: not going to college
I AM NOT: selfish
I DANCE: with my clothes on
I SING: alone. You don't want to hear what it sounds like.
I CRY: when i see puppies
I AM NOT ALWAYS: patient
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: art & sometimes a meal
I WRITE: without capital letters (type)
I CONFUSE: our 3 neighbor triplets
I NEED: to work out more; save $ more; relax a little more; call Mom & Dad more.
I SHOULD: tell my husband i appreciate him more often!
I START: new projects...and it often times takes me a while to finish them.
I FINISH: my dinner plate

NeEd a SwiFt KiCk!

ha, i remember my mom always saying that! but i'm feeling like i need a big ol' kick in the pants right about now....feeling like i'm in a rut! i've never posted a negative or "woe is me" entry so i'm certainly not about to do so today but just maybe needing to get it off my chest so i can move on. not sure what i need that will do the trick....i have 6 assignments due in a few weeks and i'm outa juices! terry is out of town for a few more days and this is the time i usually crank out my projects. i don't worry much about big meals, laundry etc...(i do keep my house picked up and clean of course :) so now is the perfect time for me to be working and creating....somebody help me! maybe it's because for the past 2 days i've switched from diet coke to earl gray iced tea. maybe it's the lack of caffeine! i even had a night away from the house without the girls last night. we have a neighborhood bunco group...always so much fun. we really have some great neighbors and have made so many good friends. i even hired a new babysitter who lives just up the road and the girls loved her! lauren had her last day of bible school yesterday so kati and i hung out at barnes and noble for a little while. i can usually count on that for some mojo...i picked up the new premier issue of junk market style! i love sue and ki! besides sarah richardson (design inc./room service) and laurie smith (trading spaces) they are my favorites! i really wish i knew where some flea markets were around here. when we lived in ak i had several markets i liked to frequent! maybe that's what i need... a gander through a junk market! ONLY bad thing is i still have yet to meet someone who loves it as much as i do....in alaska i could always count on michelle to see the potential in a rusty garden rake or a run down beat up cupboard! ha ha missing my alaska friends! well, i think i'll fill up the iced tea glass, thumb through my junk mag. and pray for a little inspiration! have a super weekend! i'll share if i come up with anything grand.....cheers!

Last Game

i tried to post these yesterday with my entry but they wouldn't go so here are just a few pict. of lauren's last game. such a cute group of girls~!
we're going to try to make an apt. to get lauren's hair cut this week. 2 of the girls on her team just cut off a good chunk of their hair so now they have these cute bob hair cuts....which she now wants....i don't think we'll go quite so drastic but i think she'd look cute with a shorter cut....
my sister and niece were in a car accident this weekend. there is nothing worse than living 800 miles away from family and your mom calling you and saying, "did you know your sister was in an accident this weekend?" my heart about fell to the floor! but i knew it couldn't have been too bad by the way she was telling me....some younger kid rear ended them. kim saw this coming as she always checks her rear view mirror....he was looking sideways at something and just back ended them. my poor niece who is 10 was pretty shook up! they ended up hitting the truck in front of them....uh, what a mess. i'm just so thankful they weren't hurt!

Stuff....

hi! feeling like i need to get in here and say hi...not sure i have much to talk about (or i should say anything of great value)....we had a nice weekend. the weather was nice. saturday lauren had her last soccer game! i really liked this group of girls and parents. the coaches were amazing with the girls. and it helps that they have girls of their own (on the team) and that they had played professional soccer! nice! lauren really learned a lot this season but i think a lot of it comes natural to her. she is very athletic and coordinated. she seems to enjoy playing so we'll definitely keep her in this sport for as long as she wants. one of the mom's called lauren a little "mia hamm"! ha then we had a pool birthday party to go to, which was a lot of fun for the girls. and to top off the evening terry and i got a sitter and went out for a really nice dinner. such a cool part of town....i think he called it west central. it wasn't downtown st. louis but not far from the college....anyway lots of neat stores and restaurants in older buildings. we first stopped into this store called Rockefeller....OH my! it was one of the coolest stores....lots of old stuff like huge church windows and big old tables and then some new funky stuff mixed in....boy, i was in heaven. i so wanted to just sit on one of their funky chairs and soak it all up but terry was already out the door before i was 1/2 way through the store. men! dinner was fabulous. we started off with a nice bottle of wine...i think i must of had 3+ glasses which for those of you who know me....it doesn't take much for me to feel the affects of alcohol! yikes. BUT i had to somehow camouflage my woozy state and be "normal" throughout the rest of dinner....otherwise i'd never hear the end of it. note to self: figure out where the bathroom is prior to consuming 3+ glasses of wine...as the b-rooms were in the basement in this old building....steep steps and wine don't mix. i made it just fine but wow i'm glad i only had to do it once! had myself some big ol' crab cakes and some corn succotash....to die for! we left his restaurant and headed to a different restaurant in a different part of town for dessert. (not that we hadn't eaten enough!) we ended up in st. charles in the old part where the streets are still cobblestone. so fun! love it there. such a fun night! terry is unaware of this yet but i am going to make it a habit to call the sitter once a month, every month so we can go out. we just don't do it often enough!
i have more assignments to crank out so i haven't created anything for myself in a while...so i have nothing to share. sorry....
finished cleaning the inside of our upstairs windows today. that is always a chore. i started the windows a few weeks back. i borrowed the neighbors long pole and was able to clean them somewhat decent....our master bedroom has this big window that is right above our entryway, it has a funky arch etc...well, i had that window looking so nice and clean....took me a while as i had to first hose off the siding etc....well, some little birds were (are) building a nest on this lip that overhangs around the arch of the entryway. this was driving terry crazy as there is always bird poop on our steps....i'm the one who cleans it so i'm not sure why it bothers him so....anyway, he had the bright idea to take the pressure washer (see where this is going?) and get rid of the nest. (poor birdies!) ya, grass, straw & mud went flying!!! all over the house and my nice clean window!
what a mess. he was out there with a big garbage bag over himself just-a-spraying! not giving a care in the world to my clean window. i'm wondering if it would have been easier to just get the big ladder out and maybe scrape the nest down with a putty knife or something? hmmm? theres a thought! gotta love em'! now i have to go borrow the pole again....and finish up that one stinkin' window~!
anyway...i've probably rambled on enough....so i think i'll close up for now....have a great week! so hard to believe it's already june!