School has begun!

A few weeks ago Katelyn started preschool and Jocelyn started kindergarten. I was going to wait after Labor Day, but things are going to be crazy the week after Labor Day, so I just started when we had a little lull in activity. We are just doing 2-3 days a week until things calm down and we are done traveling. Here is a peak at some of the activities we have been working on. Having a good time...well at least the girls and I...Easton on the other hand isn't taking it so well...good thing for his morning nap!! And YES...the kids are for the most part still in their pajamas...:)

Music time!! We play some kid music and start off with an instrument and then trade throughout the song/s.
Jocelyn and Katelyn working on Math...Katelyn just counting...Jocelyn counting and adding.Arts and Crafts...my favorite part and the kids love it too!

Reading....Jocelyn is working on the Hooked on Phonics package and BOB books

We do devotions with this book right now. It focuses on an animal trait and then what God and the Bible tells us how we should act.

Telling time with our clock...that thing drives me nuts...no on/off switch and goes off in the middle of the night...but it helps with telling time!

Katelyn working on her shapes

The girls working on month, days, dates, tomorrow, yesterday, and today.

The girls working on spelling their names...Jocelyn already knew, but Katelyn just learned the past week...she is so proud...if you are around her...she might just tell you how to spell it!:)

I gave Jocelyn a spelling test and she wrote them on the dry erase board...then called out the letters and Katelyn.....

....found the letter that Jocelyn called out.

The girls making fake money.

Easton coloring

More arts and crafts

Grass is growing!

So it isn't really the season to be growing grass...but so be it! Jocelyn planted grass in a cup and made it look like a person. Sean already had to give it a haircut. We had a lot of fun watching his hair grow...sometimes it would even grow a bit over naptime!

Our trip to Las Vegas

A little over a month ago, Sean called me from work and said we needed to think about flying somewhere before March or his frequent flyer miles were going to expire. The perks of frequent flier miles…they force you to use them or you lose them. Kind of frustrating since ideally we would love to save them for a big trip somewhere and with having another baby in 3 months our time frame was quiet limited. Sean mentioned Las Vegas, but left the ultimate decision up to me. I researched and researched and the outcome ended up being Las Vegas. We had limited weekends available and didn’t want to fly all day. So Las Vegas. I had been there before in 2003. There are good things and bad things about Las Vegas. Unfortunately the bad out ways the good (in my opinion). Don’t get me wrong, we had a wonderful time…away from the kids, sight seeing, taking scenic drives. There are various hotels that depict certain places around the world like Venice, New York City, Paris etc. Those are always neat to see. The Bellagio—one of our favorites-- was fabulous. Sean said if we end up in Vegas again we need to look into staying there. We rented a car at the last minute and drove to Red Rock Canyon National Park and took a 13 mile scenic drive. That was so pretty! We went to Lake Mead the next day. The water was so blue (quiet different from here in Nebraska). We took a quick trip to Hoover Dam. What a sight! We didn’t want to walk in the 109 degree heat, so we just got out of our car really quick to look at it. We also spent time on the strip. I am not sure how people justify bringing their kids to Vegas. You might as well just hand them a pornographic magazine and let them take a gander. The street corners were full of solicitors handing out cards and magazines with naked women on them. Billboards were all over advertising shows that featured the cast in very provocative poses. There were prostitutes hanging out on the streets…apparently it is legal. It is possible to stay off the main street and go through the back of the hotels and you could miss most of that junk, but then you don’t get to see the front of the hotels, so we just put up with it. So if you do go to Veg as, be prepared and I wouldn’t even consider bringing a child/teenager there…or you will have a lot of explaining to do. All in all...it was nice to get away from the little munchkins for a while, because it will be a long time before we can go somewhere without them. That is ok...we miss them when we are gone.

3 more months to go!

Three more months...I sure hope it goes fast. I have quiet a few friends that LOVE being pregnant. Unfortunately I am not in that category. Yes I like the thought of having kids, but being pregnant takes a toll on my body. I still say I don't feel like I ever recovered from having Easton. Rest. My prescription from my wonderful husband. I need to rest. I try. All of my kids still take naps and I was tempted to take my 5 year off the nap schedule, but right now I need my afternoon nap. The naps still leave me exhausted and tired afterwards, but help me rest my feet. I try to find times throughout the day to sit down and put my feet up, but with 3 little munchkins and one not able to take care of himself in any way, it is a bit hard. But I try. My pelvic bone feels like it is going to shatter and it is hard to sit and walk. My girls have been a big help, but they still need direction on things. I can't wait until September 11th rolls around. That is the last major scheduled thing that I have that will take a toll on my body...that I know of so far...
We are heading out of town early tomorrow morning (Saturday) to Las Vegas so please pray that I am able to rest a bit and not be on my feet the entire time. Thank goodness that my parents can watch the kids. We are also planning another trip to Missouri during Labor Day weekend. The long drive scares me this time as an hour drive to Omaha is a killer on my body. I know I whine too much (according to a loved one). Just can't wait for the 3 months to be over so I can maybe feel semi-normal.

Pretzel Fluff Salad-- You must try!

A few weeks ago, we were at a barbecue at my aunt and uncle's house. My dad's aunt Pearl brought a wonderful pineapple fluff salad. I could have eaten the entire bowl...it was so good. My aunt got the recipe from Pearl and now everyone can enjoy it. My mom just made it at a potluck...and again it was a winner. The picture is not mine...and the salad looks confusing when you make it...the common reaction is that people aren't sure if it is a potato type salad or if it is something sweet. TRUST ME....this will be a crowd pleaser at your next get together.

Ingredients

1 Cup broken/crushed pretzels

1 Cup sugar

½ Cup melted butter

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

8oz Cool Whip

20 oz crushed pineapple (drained)

Heat oven to 350°

Mix together:

Pretzels

½ Cup Sugar

½ Cup melted butter

Mix together, press into 9x13 pan; bake 7-8 minutes. Let cool, stir every 5 to 10 minutes

Beat together:

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

½ Cup Sugar

Fold in:

Pineapple

Cool Whip

Pretzel mixture

Note: Pretzel mixture should be added shortly before serving, can also add additional Cool Whip if desired.

Birthday excitement complete!

In our family we have 2 birthdays 3 weeks apart. Celebrations kind of get jumbled up a little bit and combined, but the girls enjoy every minute of celebrating. A surprise birthday party was thrown for all 3 kids in Missouri in early July while we were down there on vacation. We then had a little party at my parents for Katelyn's 3rd birthday and a pizza party for Jocelyn on her 5th. Here are a few pictures of our birthday events! Good thing our boy's birthdays will be spread out a bit!

(You have to click on the pictures to see them clearly)

Jocelyn Rene turns 5!

My first born Jocelyn Rene turns 5! She was born on Sunday, August 14th at 12:36 am weighing 9 lb 4 oz. She has kept our lives pretty busy and we joke with her that she has been talking since the day she was born and hasn't stopped yet. She is full of imagination and is a fun little girl to be around. She will start kindergarten this fall and likes to play with her friends.

Jocelyn at the hospital

Jocelyn turns 1!Jocelyn turns 2!

3rd birthday!Jocelyn is 4!
5 years old!

Thinking ahead....

As I grew up, I always thought about what God’s plans were for me. Was I to get married and have kids? Would he come back before I was of age to even get married or have kids? Well so far he hasn’t, but he could by the time I post this blog entry…he could come tomorrow…we really don’t know.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

(The New Testament mentions over 300 times about the Lord coming back….)

So far, the Lord has blessed me with a wonderful husband and 3 kids and one more on the way. My thoughts have transferred from myself, to will we still be around for Sean and I to see our own kids get married and have kids. Personally I would rather have the Lord Jesus Christ come back…but I would say (not positive here) people think so much about the futures of themselves and of their children’s that they almost in a sense would like for Jesus Christ to delay his coming. Sad..

Because we don’t know exactly when he is coming, my desires for my children would be to see each of them get saved and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior.

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

1 John 5:1-13 God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

(also many other verses in the Bible on how you can get saved and have eternal life)

Another thing I would like to see is each one of them to be baptized. The believing part is the inward part of what one is to do to be saved, but a baptism is the outward symbol that shows a believer going down under the water as a picture of Jesus’ death and burial for sin. Coming back out of the water is a picture of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Baptism shows a believer is united with Jesus in His death and resurrection. Because Jesus died and rose to conquer sin, at salvation a believer dies to his old, sinful self and is raised to new life in Christ. Baptism is a picture of what happens to a believer at salvation.

Acts 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 6:3-5 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection

(Also lots of other verses about baptism…after you are saved…)

Right now, Jocelyn can tell you how to get saved and shows concern for people, especially family that are not saved. She likes to share with Katelyn mostly how if she (Katelyn) does a bad thing that she needs to ask Jesus to forgive her…she needs to work on herself a little more though. She can tell you the story of how Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose again and that we need to believe that so we can go to heaven. She wants to get baptized, so one of these days she will…Sean and I have discussed it, but she needs to work on the understanding of repentance a little more. Kind of hard to judge another’s heart, but this is our first go around with one of our kids, so pray that we can help them understand clearly what the Bible says.