I can't seem to stop crying after watching this.  Puts things into perspective.

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!

Thursday was D's birthday.  He doesn't like birthdays very much.  He has been dreading this one in particular.  35 seemed awful to him.  He has heard many things about 35 being an age where it just goes down hill from then on.  I think he is silly.  But, hey, I might feel the same as he does 4 years from now.

No party thrown.  No big to do.  He just wanted low key and what every other male wants for his birthday...  So I tried to oblige him as much as possible.

(Us last year in Hawaii...which I realized I never blogged about.)

It was a thrilling birthday for him.  After our typical morning rituals we headed to the scrap metal place in Portland.  I know, I know.  We are quit the adventurers.  Seeing as we were hauling about 2 1/2 tons of tractor implements and old appliances...it was an adventure.

We then stopped at PARKER'S in Longview.  This place has the best artichoke, jalapeno cheese fondue!!  They serve it with little pieces of toasted bread.  Delish! We walked out of there about 10 pounds heavier and in some pain!

When we finally got home we took off for the blood drive.  Yep, my husband gave blood on his birthday!  I usually do too, but because I am with child, they didn't want my blood. So, I just hung out with the kids and waited.  Then it was a race to get home so I could change and come back to the church for my stake meeting.  Bummer deal on D's day.  But he understood and stayed with the kids, enjoyed dinner and cinnamon rolls (courtesy of his sister Nanci and his Mom) and then put the kids to bed.  But then we reunited after my meeting and headed to Applebee's for some late night hot wings with some fantastic friends.  I was still stuffed from lunch, so I didn't eat too much!

Then it was home to, um....go to bed??

I wrote a little poem which Doug thought I should share on my little blog.  He thought it was hilarious!

My sweetie, my lovely

My Douglas delight.

Here we are again on your

Brisk birthday night.

For 35 years

This world has been blessed

By you and your charm

Simply the Best.

We won't mention the labor

Your mother went through

Or the things that you did

When you were just two.

The hair or the shiner

In your kindergarten pic

Or any of those years

Where you looked pretty slick.

We won't talk about all

Those years that you drooled

Or slept walked leaving stains

Where your urine had pooled.

With your neighbor those times

When doctor you'd play

The mischief you'd create on

That hill made of clay.

Or as you got older

Those joy rides you'd take

Let's not talk about those

No no...for goodness sake.

Oh those ventures in cars

Your LUV and dirt bikes

We won't mention those OR

ALL the girls that you liked.

Let's move on to the years

Where things just got better

And you prepared yourself

For your mission letter.

The best two years of your life

You have said

Lots of shoes you wore out

Lots of scriptures you read.

And of course that lead to

THE GREATEST DECISION OF YOUR LIFE

And that is when you

Chose me as your wife!

The last 14 birthdays

Together we've spent

And each one that passes

Proves more, you're heaven sent.

The boy that you were

And the man you've become

I love every bit

YES ALL...not just some.

This world is indeed

A more awesome place

Since the moment you came

With that handsome face.

I love you my sweetie

My Douglas delight

Happy 35th to you

Let's finish celebrating this night!

(wink wink)

MY SOCCER STARS!

Now that the season is almost over I thought I'd do a little post about this years soccer experience. 

Savannah loves it more than she did last year.  She has really improved and is on a great team with an awesome coach.  We are lucky to have him at all.  There almost wasn't a U10 girls team because they couldn't find a coach.  This guy stepped in with only boys football coaching under his belt.  He has been great and has lead the girls to lots of victories! 

I love to see Vann out there with her little legs at full speed.  She can really move!

U12 is a little different.  Mainly the size of the field they play on.  It's been cool to see the more competitive games.   Payton still loves it...but might be trying football next year instead.  We will see how long that lasts.

Payton almost didn't have a team either.  There were not enough boys signed up for an Onalaska team.  So they dispersed the boys to other surrounding schools.  Thankfully we didn't have to go terribly far.  Napavine is just a town over from us.  And it just so happens that one of Payton's best friends is on that team.  They both were totally stoked about it.

Drake and Payton being goof balls!

I told the boys to enjoy this because it may not happen again.  It's been great seeing them on the field together as teammates!

Only a few more games to go and the season will come to an end.  Another year of soccer in the books.  It's bitter sweet.

For me, right now...it's more sweet than bitter! 

Yep, that's how I have felt the last couple of days.  I hate to blame it on the simple fact that I am pregnant...but I'm going to anyway.  Frankly, I have no other reason.  I just feel sad. 

I was having a discussion with my husband last night about how grumpy I had acted yesterday morning.  I knew I was grumpy.  I heard myself snap at the kids.  I felt the unnecessary tension in my body and the scowl on my face.  I fought back the tears.  And yet...I didn't stop being grumpy.   

During this conversation with the hubs, I started to really think about how difficult being pregnant is.  It feels as if it takes me over.  I try to be as normal as possible because I don't want to be a crazy prego lady.  But goodness gracious, that is almost impossible.  So, when I am a crazy prego lady, it makes me feel terrible and then I feel sad about how I acted.  It's a vicious cycle.  I wish that I felt like I had more control over it. 

Now add to the insane emotions, the body issues.  Oh my goodnes, the body issues!  I know I am pregnant.  I know that changes happen.  This is my 5th pregnancy.  Believe me, I KNOW!  And I know this isn't permanent for me (cause I will work my tail off after this baby comes.)  But...I still hate it.  I hate that I can feel my thighs rubbing together when I walk.  I hate that I have to wear layering sweaters to hide my muffin top love handles. I hate that my face if filling out.  I hate that my legs are swelling to an uncomfortable size every day.  I hate that I hang out with my friends and their non-pregnant bodies and it makes me feel like an amazon woman.  And most of all, I hate that it bothers me so much and that this has so much effect on my happiness.  It makes me so sad. Oh, how I wish it didn't.  And then...I just stay sad.  I wallow in it.  Even when I am doing a million other things, the sadness is still there.  How ridiculous do I sound?  How womanish do I sound?  I get so frustrated with myself I want to punch something.  (Like a pillow, cause I would rather not brake my hand or anything.)

.DEEP BREATH.

 A baby.  That's what will come of this.  Another beautiful little girl.  A blessing.  I know that.  And yes...it is worth it.

  It's just hard and uncomfortable and one giant emotional roller coaster.  One that I will be riding for at least the next 4 months.  HA!  Who am I kidding?  As soon as this one ends, I'll be jumping on the next one.  Hello POST PARTUM!

Apple Harvest and Planking

So, last year D and I did the Onalaska Apple Harvest 8K (5 mile) run.  We both finished with pretty 'turtle-ish' times.  But we were determined to come back this year and do better.

Well, seeing as I didn't actually run the 5 miles, I will have to push that goal back to next year.  Having gotten home around 1a.m. from the temple the night (or morning) before, we almost didn't make it to the 8:30a.m. race.  But we drug ourselves out of our beds and our eyes were almost open by the time we got there to register...10 minutes before it started.  We figured it would be fine.  Not like it's some crazy, high attendance race or anything.  It's Onalaska, people!

I did, however do the 2 mile walk.  They had a little apple plaque for the top walker.  When I saw that, I got a little excited.  For some strange, somewhat unrealistic reason, I thought for a minute that maybe I could win it.  Don't laugh.  But as soon as the walking began, that thought was blown out of the water by this super speed walker lady in bright pink.  She took off...and I didn't see her again.  I shrugged my shoulders and thought maybe I could talk them into having a 'top pregnant lady walker' category.  I just walked along side my friend, Jill, as we complained about different pains that were stabbing us.  Sadly, both of us were soar the next day.  Hey...we walked at a pretty good pace and worked our hips, I promise.

D, on the other hand did great on his run!  His improvement from where he was last year still really impresses me.  His finish time last year was 57 min and some change.  (Behind my finish of 56:48...or something like that).  This year he came in at 43:57.  That is a 14 minute difference.  So proud of my man!  The competition was a little more intense this year, so instead of getting 1st in his age division, he got 3rd.  Still a 'podium finish' he says.  AND we both won stuff at the drawing.  He won a $10 gift certificate to Buzz N Blooms (a local flower, hair salon, coffee, tanning, shop) and I won a $25 gift certificate to Outback Stake House.  So much better than our last year's prize of a coffee mug!  A few of our friends that ran with us last year and some first timers were there and did amazing, with first place plaques and age division wins.  And of course, drawing prizes.  Hope Ron is enjoying his new Onalaska Loggers jacket.  Have you washed it yet?? ;)

Unfortunately, we had to take Payton to his soccer game in Rochester so we didn't stick around for the Apple Harvest Festivities.  We got home from the game, watched the 2nd session of conference and then vegged out a bit.  D headed to the Priesthood session (they have dinner before the broadcast) around 3:45.  I finally decided to take my aching hips and the kids to see what was left of the festival.  We got there and all that was there was, a bluegrass band playing it's final songs, ponies no longer giving rides and lots of trash.  My kids were bummed.  But, we did run into some friends and we ALL practiced our 'PLANKING' skills.  It was pretty hilarious.  Did it make up for missing the parade, the petting zoo, rock wall, pony rides, face painting, karaoke, arts and crafts, apple pressing, and elephant ears??  Probably not for them.  But I laughed so hard that evening, it was worth it to me.

 

This might just be our new family hobby.

IT'S ART...

It's actually purple nail polish.  All over my bathroom wall.

I bet you are wondering which one of my children did it.  If I were you, my first assumption, along with most others would be, the lovely mischievous Jillian Clair.  This is totally up her alley, right?  Lately one of her favorite things to do is stick her little fingers in the wax of my Scentsy burners and then leave a trail of dried wax behind her.  And she has loved filling bottles with water.  The conditioner bottle, the soap bottle, and now the tubes of toothpaste.  So, yeah...this could totally have been her.

BUT

It wasn't. It wasn't any of my children at all.

IT.  Was.  Me.

YEP,  I'm the guilty party.  I was just shaking my favorite bottle of polish around to put a coat on the toesies when the slippery glass bottle fell right out of my hands, landed on the glass scale and shattered all over the place.  Leaving the art work on the wall, scale and floor.  I just stared for a minute and shook my head.  Did I seriously just do that?  Getting it off the floor and scale really wasn't that big of a deal.  Nail polish remover.  But, not the wall.  If you look to the right of the pic you will see a little bit of lighter, smudged looking color.  That was my attempt at using the remover on the wall.  Ummm...it takes the paint off.

So, now I'm stuck.  Not sure what I should do.  Looks like I might be picking out a new paint color for the bathroom.  Sigh.  (and a little giggle.)