3pm

It happens around 3:00 every day. I'm doing well with the kids, managing the nausea (although eating too much), then 3:00 hits and I turn into a monster. Seriously, I get grumpy, snap at the kids, all I want to do is lay down and have Sean walk in the door to save the day. It hasn't always been like this, just this first trimester with this pregnancy. Grant and Lauren are managing well, but I feel like a big jerk. I also then tell myself I don't have enough energy to make dinner and a bunch of other things. I know remedies to all of this: I need to hit the gym so I have more energy (which is true), I need to eat small things all day long to battle the nausea, etc. So yesterday I decided to get back into the Word. You know, THE WORD, the B-I-B-L-E. And it helped. Of course it would, why wouldn't it? I took a long shower last night after putting the kids to bed. I wanted to get in bed at 9pm, but I stayed up and read the Bible. It was worth it. Today is a new day. I have an hour to go until 3, but I'm feeling pretty good. Even thinking about cleaning the bathrooms.... one step at a time though. ha. I took the kids to the store so Grant could pick out his first backpack - of course, it was green. Then we hit Chick-fil-A for lunch with Aunt Aileen. Lauren's now sleeping, Sean says he's coming home early and Grant just wants to make a pillow fort. I think I'm up for making dinner tonight. Thank you Lord.

hair cut and mug shots

I got a haircut. I know it doesn't look like much, but it seems I was always trying to grow my hair out. I cut 2 inches off yesterday - which would take me until Christmas probably to grow back out. My bangs aren't in my eyes anymore, which is great too. But I like it and it feels more manageable in the heat. Plus I hear when you're pregnant, you get your hair cut, so, I decided not to let anybody down and fit the mold.

I also decided to take some mug shots of the kids so we can all have our pretty faces up here.

I have to admit, my hair feels a lot shorter than it looks in this picture...

Grant-man, such a good looking kid. I couldn't ask for a better boy - he's 3 1/2 already.

And little Lauren. She looks so sweet here, and she is, but she is also a WILD THING.

Sean's 30th

Ah, a few moments to myself. Lauren is taking a nap, presumably. Grant is at the store with his Aunt Aileen. I find myself at the computer.

I am thankful for Aileen. She is always ready to watch the kids and has also agreed to watch Lauren every Wednesday and every other Thursday this fall! That's amazing and a big commitment! I am going to be a BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) leader again this year and could never do it without a great family that supports and helps. I really feel like I am supposed to do it again, although I am pregnant and feeling tired. I believe God will give me the strength. Also, I learn much more as a leader and am excited to see how my faith will grow as we study Moses and his life.

Sean is finally 30. I think it was kind of hard for him to actually turn 30. He has a lot going on in his life and sometimes I feel so helpless to help him. I appreciate and am encouraged by his love for the Lord and his diligence in following Him and wanting to do the right thing. He is a great husband and I thank the Lord for him. It also hasn't been an easy couple of weeks to love me either as I am moody from this pregnancy (at least I am blaming it on that). I am hoping the next 3 weeks will go quickly so I can end this first trimester and start feeling better. I'm also eating more with this pregnancy than the others, so I need to watch myself!

Well, that's all for now. The pictures are from Sean's 30th at his parents' house. Aileen and her friend Angie made the cake. Pretty good, huh?

Back from the Journey

Well, we're back! Been back for a week now, but I needed the rest and break from things before finding time to blog.

Our trip was great! Even though it was 8 days, I think we could've stayed longer. It was wonderful to see "old" friends and to visit with family. Our friends' visits were so short though, since there were a lot to see. It's nice to catch up though and see how each others' lives are changing. God is so faithful and His work is evident.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was Lauren eating wild raspberries. She had a few opportunities and she loved pulling them right off the bush and popping them into her mouth. She was quite a mess after finding many black raspberries in Missouri. It was neat to see her enjoy them. Our only concern is that she would start pulling flowers off plants here and start eating them! I think we've definitely got some "country" kids at heart. Grant had lots of fun riding horses, catching lightning bugs, finding snakes, catching tadpoles and frogs, riding 4 - wheelers, etc. There was a lot to do! He also had so much fun playing with his cousins Andrew and Ethan. We were home not even a day and he asked me "mommy, now what can we do?" He was so used to being on the go, not slowing down, he wasn't too sure what to do with himself. We're settled back into the routine here though and things are going well. Grant finishes his last night of Vacation Bible School tonight.

I think most of you who read this already know the news, but we're pregnant! I'm due February 24 - almost 9 weeks along now. I've had nausea and have been very tired. Sean was gone all week for work in Atlanta, which I think just made me feel more tired since he wasn't here. We've not had much family time together since Sean wasn't able to go on the trip and then he left 2 days later for Atlanta. He celebrates his 30th birthday next week though, so that's something else to look forward to (for me, anyway, since right now I'm 31 and he's 29....).

Here are some pics of the trip, not all of course, but some good ones.

Lauren eating wild red raspberries - much cleaner than black...

And here are the black ones - you can't see the full extent of it ALL over her.

Here are Ryan and Tiffany and sweet Cadence. Isn't she so cute.... Oh wait, where is she?

Our kids! 2 are mine, 2 are Amy's, 2 are Sarah's, and Katia had 1 representing that night...

My brothers and me --- and our newest-born children. I think Lauren just finished squeezing Cadence's arm. Sorry Cadence.

Lauren loves playing the piano. I believe Uncle Aaron was getting her going on some hymns.

Lauren, Caleb and Cadence. Yes, I do have pictures where Cadence is a very sweet little girl. I just caught her here with her tongue hanging out - she was just trying to smile, that's all.

Grant-man on the 4-wheeler. He is tough.

Sweet Baby Cadence.....Adorable

All of the Lauxes present at the "LFC" Laux Family Reunion this year. What a good looking bunch.

6 Days to go

So I'm preparing for a bunch of guys to land at my house and then for me and the kids to take off - all on the same day. On Wednesday, I head out to Missouri and Iowa to visit family and friends and I'm taking the kiddos with me. Sean, on the other hand, is staying here and 5 of his friends are flying in. Thankfully, part of their time will be spent in Las Vegas, so they won't have quite as many days to tear apart my house. I guess they are older now and probably not as crazy as they were in college, but, ah, the memories still linger. So, a lot to do before we head out - clean house, pack up the kids, grocery shop for a bunch of guys. Plus we celebrate our 8 year anniversary on Tuesday, so we're headed to dinner and a movie with Aileen and John.

I am working on not becoming full-on sick. It's just been a cough so far, and now I'm losing my voice. I just always pray the kids don't get it too. We had better not be sick for the big trip! We have 6 days to get better.

Well, Grant is waiting for me to play with some toy pigs. Duty calls.

I love this picture of Lauren because it looks like she is trying to smile for the camera - like a fake smile. It's funny because she doesn't really know how to fake smile yet, being 1 and all.

And this one I love, although it's a bit blurry.

It's HOT in the AZ

Yep, it's hot. We can't complain though - no earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, just that dry dry heat. We'll manage through it just like all of the other years. I know once August comes around though, we will wonder if it will ever end, and yes, in late October, it finally does.

My birthday was Sunday and I was able to share it with Father's Day and someone else who is brand new and special in our lives...... I think after you hit 30, birthdays just aren't a big deal anymore. Yes, I'm glad I have them, otherwise I wouldn't be alive, you know? But I'd rather just have a nice dinner and have them be uneventful. We celebrated with Sean's mom Lois last Wednesday, since her birthday was the 9th. Then we went out to dinner with our friends, the Severas, to Kona Grill on Saturday night. We had a great time talking and relaxing - it was a perfect evening.

We celebrated Father's Day at the Weber's place in Gold Canyon. The kids got to do some swimming, while the fathers watched some golf and others played games. Then I had an indoor soccer game that evening, which we lost. Oh well.

I've got a countdown going until I head to Missouri with the kids. Only 2 weeks to go! I'm excited to meet my new little niece there and also worried about heading to Cedar Rapids, IA and seeing the devestation there. It's overwhelming to hear my friends talk about all of the destruction by the water. It will be interesting to see how everything looks, and of course fun to see all of my childhood friends again!

A ride across the country

Well, they're gone. Sunday we set off for a 2 day trek across the SW and Midwest and landed in Grain Valley, MO (KC suburb). Overall, the journey was an easy one. Just a truck and a car and 3 of us to drive, so we were each able to rest some too. Dad let me drive the truck awhile. At first it was scary but then you get used to it I guess. What I don't know if I'll get used to is that they're gone. Not for good, but at least for awhile. I keep expecting dad to knock on the front door and come right in, or to come home and find my backyard mowed. It's sad and I want to cry. I did cry the night I flew back home - poor Sean. I think he just wanted to go to sleep, but instead he had to cradle me as I cried. What a great husband I have. There are a lot of emotions to sort through. I'm sincerely happy for my brothers and their families as they will get to spend more time with their parents and receive all the ready help they have to give. I'm saddened that they will miss out on things the kids do - especially Lauren. I will miss dad just coming over and sitting around to talk and chase the kids. I'll miss my babysitters too! Guess I'm just more on my own now. But they will be back to visit, maybe for the winter, who knows. I will be ready for them; they always have a place here.