Little Buddy made us a family of 5 today!!

Welcome little brother! 

We love you!!

8lbs 9oz 

21 1/2 inches long 

...still work'n on a name...

When a long awaited little brother joins the family it's kinda hard to remember anything from the rest of the week. It was conference weekend, we enjoyed that minus the spotty internet part-that was annoying! The boys wanted me to do fun bags so I complied. We also did the train thing where they made a train out of the speakers. Colt was pretty cute holding his picture up to the tablet to compare if he thought he had the right speaker. Cannon did a good job of telling me what he heard. He's got quite the memory he'd spit stuff back at me trying to earn his fun bag-even if it was a bad example, then he's so smart it's like he'd think that it didn't sound right so he'd add "and we need to follow Jesus"

So about those stupid fun bags I thought I was so smart and ordered a pkg of carnival prizes off of amazon, I was thinking fish pond type things. oh boy! What a waste of 13 bucks on a bunch of garbage! I was scrambling to find marshmallows and jelly beans and such around here to add to the bags cuz the "prizes" were so lame! But tearing into the bag is half the fun sooo...anyway one-ok-two of the prizes were whistles, oh my! That was annoying and terrible mistake!  

Isaac said "who gives their kids whistles and expects them to not blow them?" Then he threw in there "that better make the blog" cuz I put every dumb thing he does on here--it's only fair. 

Sunday Cannon was showing Grandma Ison on Skype how he can run like cheetah--and he crashed into the wall so he's had a big ole shiner all week! He got it good, I think he might have hit the hinge on the door, who knows but I knew the cry was the hurt cry as opposed to the just overly dramatic fake cry I often get.

Monday it was too cold but we went to the park anyway, then the boys and Grama dropped me off at home and went exploring and found another park in Novinger. The boys had a great time and I had a great rest--so Grama probably got the raw end of the deal :) 

They were having a great time playing with these suffering sticks??? 

"Suffering sticks" you might ask-to which Cannon replied "well we're going to burn them" their plan was to roast a raccoon I'm laughing again just typing it! 

Oh and on funny things they say note: my wardrobe most late pregnancy days is the biggest shirt I can find on Isaac's side of the closet, so the other day I wore Isaac's new primary shirt Colt just kept asking me why I was wearing it I didn't think much of it but the next day he said 

 "me glad you not wearing daddy's primary shirt, dus wear you own clothes!"

And my mom is here and she is a lot of help but she really does have a broken shoulder so there's just some things she can't do well the boys have picked right up on that and they will say "I can't I have a broken shoulder" when they don't want to do something it's hilarious.

Anyway--lets get on to Tuesday--in another post

Baby? Only a bad April Fools day joke.

No Baby...yet...the days not over!!! Really the only two things on my list today were blog and have a kid~so I'm getting one of them done. Cannon said to me yesterday "Mom, your belly is so big your back is growing into it." Hmmm

Little buddy, any time now! I really kind of always thought last Monday because that's what the ultra sound said...shows ya how much I know.  I did ask the Dr. this week if due date (April 3rd) comes and goes if we could push the issue because I have big babies~then not knowing his opinion I said "Well, I think they're big." He said "Remind me again how big?" and I said "8-14 two weeks early" (that was Colt although I do think/hope/pray he's more like Cannon and only 8lbs 9oz 4 days late...here's to hoping!!) anyway he said "Yeah, that's big!" And also that he was fine with scheduling an induction. He also asked if I felt strongly about and induction sooner...I said not really and I don't...I just think he'll come this weekend...sort of like I thought he'd come last Monday~Maybe I'm crazy. 

Anyway I'd love to do another post that said he was here! And I did start to feel kind-a cruddy this week sooo maybe... (then of course the crazy lady at church told my mom we just needed a storm because the barometric pressure would drop and send me into labor...(insert eye roll) but when I was at the Dr he said something about the same thing...about that eye roll-I told him that sounded like a bunch of bologna but apparently it really happens. Well then, storm on. We just had about 10 seconds of Hail while I've been typing.) Anyway on to the week!

Yay!!! We had healthy kids this week!  SO NICE. That jump and run with them to the bathroom in the middle of the night was totally miserable (and painful with my HUGE belly) but its been smooth sailing this week. :) SO THANKFUL!

In and effort to keep the Sabbath day holy, we've tried the last two years have the Easter bunny come on Saturday, luckily he's complied :) Last year he came at nap time, but knowing naps are running short especially for Cannon he came in the night, that sneaky little bunny. It was a fun surprise.  

 

  We talk a lot about "we don't point guns at people" then they get squirt guns (oh well) try and convince these two it's too cold for a squirt gun fight-impossible-I held out with the tub option the first night and Sunday I didn't give in but by Monday (which Isaac had "off" for Easter) there was no deterring them...

They'd come in, I dry them off and they'd head right back out "why doesn't dad get cold?" Well A: he's in pants and a sweatshirt ~not surprisingly them having to be in swimsuits was all Cannon~ and B: I'm not sure you've hit him yet ;)

Saturday I also wrapped a few eggs (and dyed a few with a PAAS kit for the first time in my life) so I could show the kids in primary how to egg bust. That was the what we did for singing time labeled the eggs with a song and the winning egg is what we would sing-it was fun. 

That night my mom and I (Aunt Kay was in Nauvoo with Dallas) went to dinner and then watched the Women's broadcast with the Orton's and another friend in the ward. I really love them and I'm sad they are moving! Oh well, enjoy the good times while they last! 

All headed to church in little green, boys in the back! 

Sunday the kids got a few extra Easter goodies from Grama. We ditch the white shirts ASAP in an effort to keep them white so that's why Colt is a little shirtless man. Candy totally trumped getting dressed!

 

Early EARLY Tuesday morning (like 12:30 am) Isaac and Aunt Kay headed to St. Louis. (He took her to the airport  then headed to the auction to look at vans.) They wouldn't let him into the auction early like they do in Vegas so then he just headed for KC. It was his plan all along and then still get back and put in some of his office ours but yikes holy cow lot of driving and LONG day!! He did text me this pic and say "2016 Corvette?"

 

I got a good little chuckle out of that and quickly replied. "I love you but NO!!" AND...at the end of the day, (well the end of the day Wednesday when the Kansas City auction was over) we still don't have a van. Thankfully we have Aunt Kay's car while grama is here, that's a BIG stress relief. I took Cannon to school in it and he said "Lets get a car like this mom!" Its a big (and nice) Expedition. I laughed and said it probably wasn't in the cards. 

Depending on little brother Isaac will still navigate the auctions and stuff next week. When he was talking Wednesday night about catching a flight out of here Thursday afternoon to look at another one I kind of freaked out, I told him if we want little brother to come me being up tight about him leaving town is not very conducive to the process. Not like I really have control but I feel like to some extent my body HAS to be able to relax. (I had flash backs to before Cannon was born and him being really tied up with the dumb goats, it wasn't the funnest memory. I mean he'll drop anything in a moments notice and I know that, but its just hard when I feel like he's going a other directions. I don't think I realized or appreciated how nice it was knowing exactly when Colt was coming!)

Anyway, these boys are enjoying cash'n in on Grama time! While Grama loves them too she'd sure love to have another grandkid sometime too!!

And holy cow--these kinds of things are constants around here. I could take a thousand pics a day that look just about the same. If Colt ever quits playing Cannon tells him "But Colt you were winning!" And he jumps right back in. 

And check out this pic Isaac text me today. So stink'n cute and thoughtful of his students, I was totally impressed! 

Oh my! Cannon has had everything Colt had last week and worse. I hate having sick kids!!!! Poor little toads-and here's to hoping its a kids bug going around and Isaac and I can avoid it! Fingers crossed (cuz heaven knows we've been exposed!)

So I typed up some stuff earlier in the week and that's all it's going to be cuz it's been a rough day or two! 

Pics just thrown on here-hopefully I'll get around to rearranging them but maybe not...

Here's our dinosaur egg fun from last week.

Who sells his wife's car when she is 38 weeks pregnant? Oh Isaac! Thankfully it hasn't been a big deal I knew he'd listed it but no bites so I wasn't really worried about it then all the sudden in about 10 minutes Sarturday boom sold! Wait, not, we couldn't find the title anywhere! After hours and hours of searching Isaac did finally find it that night (in a random backpack) and the people came and picked the car up Sunday but I think maybe that delay had to happen so I could process the whole deal and not freak out. My mom is here so it wasn't going to be a big deal to leave the boys, or as  it turned out just Colt, and run Isaac into work, then we'd have little green-little green makes me nervous!!! (And rightly so, I mean she was dead on the side of the rode 7 years ago when we were dating!!!! But Isaac has just nursed her along.) And she works so we were fine. And I knew Aunt Kay was coming Wednesday so I it was really only 3 days with just the one car. And we got along great. The boys miss "quick silver" and hey so do I but hopefully we'll have her replaced with a van soon. Isaac's original plan was to find a mission van that one of the missions was selling but now he might be leaning more auction. Who knows? It'll all work out somehow! I said that to my mom and she said that was a good attitude for me to have, I said I am slowly learning :) Oh a funny thing though Isaac was looking at vans on the auction website well that turned into motorhomes. I burst his bubble when I said no I wouldn't live in one of those for a summer "or a year" -that's his quote not mine- EVEN if he could get that thing for $10K, NO! "But we'd be so free to go" No! Oh I'm such a dream wrecker-or just a little realistic!! Hello we'll have 3 kids!!! Anyway my mom is here she was just quiet but she was thinking "wait!!! What??? I thought he was looking for a van?" I just laughed and said he was and that I couldn't explain the wandering, and  I've learned not to try. 

So about those 3 kids, little brothers just hang'n out in my tummy-I'm plenty uncomfortable but he seems pretty content. They don't push the issue around here like they did in Mississippi, so I'm just trying to roll with it. It's all fine and good but I assure you the little guy is not getting any smaller in there! Oh delivery sucks, I'm dreading it-but my boys are worth it. I love'm. I was really hoping he'd get me out of the ward activity tonight, the youth roped all the organizations into participating in but...no such luck-not yet anyway. We primary folk (a ton of us are prego) did a Star Belly sneetches skit from Dr Suess's book. I'm just glad it's over! 

I don't know much about the week, Sat Isaac (and Cannon made sure he was awake to get to go too) went to pick Grama up. We went to a baptism that morning. Mostly we just survive the days, maybe a trip to the grocery store-or Walmart but that's about the extent of what we get done. Just waiting on little bro- I did get some of the junk cleaned out of his room and got him a little bed set up by ours for the first couple weeks. Colt said "yittle brudder alweady had a bed" it was pretty cute. 

It's been fun to have aunt Kay here she really is like an extra mom :) and the boys call her Grama Kay, I said "Isn't it fun having two Grama's here?" And Cannon said "Grama, Grama Kay, Grama Ison, that's 3!" I agreed even though Grandma Ison isn't here right now :) Colt thought he was pretty hot stuff going on an adventure with them himself today. They went down to Hamilton to see the Missouri star quilt stuff I think they all had fun.

So if you've read our blog at all you know Isaac and I are polar opposites. We're happy, we love each other but dang, I doubt we could be more different. So last week the last thing I write about is  "What can I do to make you happy?" and the very next day Isaac tells me the names he likes for little brother...umm

Yikes, I can't do that.

Polar opposites!

A few weeks ago I had told him what I liked and he responded "hmm" well that "hmm" was more positive than anything I could muster, I mean, I tried to copy it but I didn't do a very good job. I said "hmm" but I was laughing at my attempt. I don't really want to list what either of us likes cuz he's going to end up with a name and if its one that we've discussed I don't want him to know either mom or dad hated it. Hopefully we'll find some middle ground... fingers crossed. With the "name and blessing" in the church I guess he ultimately has the last say (I've always heard the story of my great grandpa switching my Aunt's name from Wanda to Kalyn-so basically she scored-and I've never been able to figure out why my grandpa wasn't the one giving that blessing??? But anyway-) Who knows?!
So the week:
Last week I labeled the boys drawers because I thought that would be helpful when Grama was here and helping out with laundry and such. I did NOT use sticky notes but the other morning Cannon labeled mine! It was so cute/funny. He'd open the drawer-see what was in it-then make his little squiggle marks "writing" the contents. The best was when Colt asked what the little sticky notes were and Cannon would re-open the drawer, look inside, and then "read" the squiggles and tell Colt what the note said. It was pretty cute.

 

And the above pic, puke bucket in hand, is WAY TOO representative of our week. Oh man. Colton caught a stomach bug something fierce. Its been awful! I know with a newborn you get puked on and pooped on but really I didn't need reminded and I didn't need any extra practice with all that. UG! Its been pretty much all week but I called the pediatrician and they said its just going around and to keep the fluids in him and the diet bland. Yikes. I made him wear a diaper all day to day-I just couldn't deal with another mess if he didn't make it. At the start of the week he did great even sick but...

this is and awful subject, why would I write about it and have to relive it-moving on!

We had a little St. Patrick's day fun and made T-shirts. Then that stubborn little Colt man wouldn't even put his on-little stinker. I couldn't tell him the whole "you'll get pinched" thing because Cannon's just a little to quick to volunteer to be the pincher! Oh well, they had fun making the shirts.

Cannon's preschool buddies were out of town because it was the medical school spring break but that made room at preschool for Colt-he loves getting to go. He just kind of survived the first day though cuz I didn't realize he was really sick yet, whoops. But I kept him home -the little sicky- Wed, by Thursday I thought he was better-he got along fine but he STILL isn't better so I shouldn't have let him go. Whoops. Oh well. Mrs. Hardee's the best. We love her.

 

I had to post a picture of the cute little Bunnies they made-she's the queen of preschool crafts-I think I'm going to ask her if she'd got any good little tricks up her sleeve I can do with the primary kids for mothers day! 

Today I tried to be a fun mom and do a little Friday science. Hopefully those little fizzing dinosaur eggs we made turn out. We'll see. 

Grama is on her way (because she was sure little bro would bee 2 weeks early) I doubt it, but we'll take Grama when we can get her. Isaac aka the saint -and favorite son in law- is going to head down to Columbia to pick her up early early in the morning. She had plane tickets, but then decided to drive with my Aunt Kay who is going to see Dallas (her grandson) in southern Missouri, and bring him a motorcycle (on a Uhaul trailer). She'll come up here after but then fly home. Who knows?  Those two. Anything could happen. So far "take it easy and see how it goes" driving has turned into them driving through the night. 

I'm sure there's more to the week but I can't remember so I guess that's it.

Spring Break...Isaac pretty much just worked all week

Oh where to start? Today I've been fighting the internet-crazy how I think my throat's been cut when it doesn't work...but I think I'm good to go--at least for a minute.
So last weekend was stake conference, well...I better back up a little. Isaac's been scouting out mini vans for us. So he found a mission van (I think there are a lot cuter vans out there but who am I to complain? We need a little more room and if the price is right? Giddy Up.) Anyway its in Arkansas but Isaac was going to that conference in KC last weekend and he was riding with a coworker who was then continuing on to Oklahoma for spring break so he was going to be within an hour of where he needed to be to pick up this van. (Side note-he would have needed a bank check to pay for it but I'm not sure how he was going to get that...have the bank in Mississippi mail it?-I don't know since we don't have a local bank here... anyway details detail details.) But back to my story it was stake conference and he was like "Oh that won't work"-plan aborted- because of stake conference. Which he takes those Saturday mtgs very serious and am very grateful but sometimes (and this is kind of the type of thing...I'm thinking treadmill--anybody??? That was during the Saturday sessions of last General Conference.) But there was not even a thought of missing those meetings this time. Saturday morning I found out why. Isaac was just kind of talking out loud of the things he needed to do before took off for Nauvoo and he said he had to go by his office at the school and get his notes. I just kind of looked him like, you can take other notes...and he said "Oh I have to speak at this meeting." Ooohhhhhh! So that explains it ;) I did say a little prayer for him--but I could have been praying for him more if he'd let me know. I'm sure he did great, even though I didn't get to hear it. His topic was on "Ministering to the one."
And who knows on the mini van--time will tell. He listed "quick silver" for sale today. Originally we had talked about getting rid of little green but she's running fine and she's his baby so, if we're going to go van...little green stays and quick silver goes. We'll see.

Back to stake conference though, I hauled the boys to the nursery and just listened to the adult session in there--why didn't I just get a baby sitter??? I don't know! But Isaac met us there even though there really isn't time to make it back before the start of that meeting he only missed the songs and one speaker and its WAY better than not even leaving Nauvoo until 9:00 then not getting home until 11:00. Then Sunday morning we just watch a broadcast. Twice as long for the battle on the benches though. Yikes. But the funniest thing was (well remember we had a presidents day FHE back in February and we'd talked about George Washington) so we walk into stake conference and the screen is projected up in the chapel and on the screen in the choir seats there's a lady with white hair and it was just kind of hanging just right and had a big curl right about ear level and Cannon caught one glimpse of that and exclaimed (quite loudly) "George Washington! It's George Washington!" It was pretty funny because...I could see where he was coming from. But trying to quiet him down and convince him it wasn't true wasn't so fun. We really did have great meetings though, we had a General Authority Elder Spackman there. When his wife spoke she encouraged us to read the Book of Mormon together as a family-even if its just one verse. And she told us it took there little family of preschool age non readers 8 years to finish it the first time. We have our night time routine were the kids each pick a scripture story but they pick whatever they want, Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon or Doctrine and Covenants and they totally go through phases of what they pick, what is their favorite which day. We thought it would be simple to add this suggestion to our regular night time routine. Oh boy! Its good, but simple? NO, NOT SIMPLE! But we've done it-each of us one verse so on the boys turns we read, they repeat. So its good, we'll try to keep it up. But no simple task! Really good meetings though.

As for the week: Tuesday the boys didn't have preschool (oh boyS, yes plural, some of Cannon's classmates were out of town so Mrs Hardee, the angel, straight from Heaven, took them both Wed and Thurs-she's the best- it was great!) But no school Tuesday so we planned a play date with the Tilton's but...they got hung up at the Dr. the boys (all 4 of'm) were super bummed but we made up for it by inviting them to go bowling with us that afternoon. It was hit! We had a great time! Matt couldn't come because he had big tests this week but that still left 7 of us bowling on one lane-it took forever, but it was great because it was just dragging out the fun.

It was really the only thing we did to celebrate spring break at all. Isaac just worked all week (and took the missionaries to Iowa City for transfers) but he's just busy and trying to get ahead. He's still talking about going in early tomorrow morning so...so much for ahead.
So lets see what else: Tub fun, the boys found their shaving cream. Fun little Easter crafts

 

Tonight we grilled and hung out with the Tilton's again, they are such a good family and great friends! Noah and Zach have lots of sweet superhero costumes-the boys were in heaven. And our kids even ate!!! Because Cassie has picky eaters too so she just made mac'n cheese, and they all got to sit at the cool Dusty Crophopper table. They just played and we got to visit, it was great!

And the last little collage is just Colt being Colt. He's a lot more willing to let me take pictures than Cannon is right now. I'm sure it won't last so I'll just enjoy it while it does. On not such a happy note he's always been stubborn and demanding but he's also seemed to have hit a little defiant stage the last week or so. NOT my favorite thing. And consequences that worked for Cannon, don't work at all for him...so...back to the drawing board? Such is life in the parenting world I guess.
My cute little Cann Man, oh boy, he's full of challenges but he is such a good kid too. We read a story about how the early saints traveling west liked to sing songs like "Come Come Ye Saints" so Cannon wanted to learn it, its his new favorite. We don't have it down but, its pretty darn cute.
I think that's about it as far as what we've been up to.

In the world or at least our nation, all of this crud with politics that is so prevalent right now (and specifically Trump and his huge following) make me want to buy more food storage and prepare to hunker down-it's not going to be pretty! I was glad Romney called him out but I don't know that it will matter, and I don't know why but sometimes I worry when a member of the church that is so prominent isn't exactly... nice--but hey, even the Savior himself had to cleanse the temple, right? I don't know, maybe that's not really a good comparison but anyway overall it just seems like our nation is a mess--and that it's probably going to get worse before it gets better!
One last thing. I struggle to sleep a lot of nights, and I blame little brother. But! One of the perks of not being able to sleep is that I've listened to some really great talks (namely Israel Israel God is Calling by Elder Holland and The Blueprint of Christ's Church by Elder Callister) I even listened to part of the Face to Face event that was actually for single adults -because it was Elder Holland and I love him. I also read a really good one by Elder Hafen a few weeks ago, he was so concerned about how awful the world was getting--and it was given in 1984! Pretty sure that was nuthin compared to now! But it reminded me of a book of his, Covenant Hearts, that talks about wedding pictures at the beginning and all of the happiness and hope they represent. It made me think of this picture that's in our room, I think its been in our room everywhere we've lived...

I confess there have been times when I've wanted to reach through the glass frame and grab my smiling self and say "You have NO IDEA what you're getting into!!" -this or that or whatever is going to be SO HARD- Yet it seems that those smiles inherently say "You make me so happy!" but time and reality soon teach us those smiles need, and slowly learn, to say "What can I do to make you happy?"  Anyway, long story short (or not short who knows-point is...) the other day I walked past that picture, smiled back at those smiles (disregarded how much I've aged lol)  and I thought maybe even out loud "I love him more now than I did then." And for that I'm so very thankful! That's all!

Isaac is gone to a conference in Kansas City today, sooo...the tablet is babysitting for a few minutes while I blog, hopefully it doesn't backfire on me too bad in the behavior department. 
Saturday we ventured over to Nauvoo for a temple trip. Lucky for the boys I have to stop and get out and walk around a little bit (that has to be the last trip before little brother--too long--but anyway) we found Ed's Equipment auction...to wander around at, the boys were pretty much in heaven! Running from combine to tractor to skid steer and climbing up in all of them.

 

The big draft horses weren't hitched up this time but it was also parks galore for the boys, they went to 3 with Isaac (looking for one with a fire pole) while I was in the temple, and then we went over to Carthage to see the jail where the Prophet Joseph was murdered because I had never been. (We found another park first though) It would have been a lot better if it hadn't been 2 full hours past nap time...such is life. It was neat to go though and a humbling place, and the missionary giving us the tour was from St. George-so that was cool. 

We love being in the Nauvoo stake and Nauvoo temple district-its just cool. A few temple pics:

 

The other neat thing was this awesome family was sealed in the Reno temple Saturday. I didn't get to be there but it was still super cool to think about them and know they were in the "same" place that day. So happy for their family!

 

And the stress of Saturday...the landlord wanted to stop by, which was fine but I wanted to make sure we left the house all tidied up (Isaac totally doesn't get it so I'm pretty much on my own but whatever I got it done) but while we were gone I two texts from landlord. The first "What is the white stuff all over the concrete?" I reply that its just baking soda (cuz yeah, I've never sprayed it off since the last time Isaac was gone to a conference and I worked on the garage) then I get another text "And we're going to have to talk about the dog." Yeah! I reply that Isaac would call her! He got a hold of her on Monday and I guess things are fine but apparently the lease we signed said we would not have pets!!!! I had no idea but I sure wish I had known that back in December (in my world a lease is pretty binding in Isaac's world its just a dumb formality) anyway I know she had said when we walked thought the house that pets were fine, the lady before us had pets IN the house but anyway, like I said I guess things are fine but I just pride myself on being a good tenant-or course you would want renters like us...oh...or maybe not. Whatever.  

For fun this week: We made marshmallow shooters! The boys probably had the most fun eating the ammo.  And one of the nights a bunch of Isaac's students had an intramural volleyball game so we dressed the boys in their Truman shirts, grabbed some gatorades,  and were the cheering section. It was pretty fun. I think that's about it though.