Legoland

For my birthday, we surprised the kids by taking them to Legoland. It was the perfect day to go due to the fact that it was a school day and kind of rainy. It was so nice to get away as a family and spend time together. It was also nice that I wasn't pregnant and could actually ride the rides. Legoland was perfect for Hero and Jericho as most of the rides were designed for their age group. Unfortunately, Ransom was unable to go on about 90% of the rides due to his height. He could go on some rides with an adult, but I couldn't go on with the baby so we had to do a lot of kid shuffling. We actually got in for pretty cheap. We only paid for parking and one adult ticket. Hero and Jericho are in the Brickmaster's Club. The cost of membership is less than the cost of admission. The kids get a Lego set every other month. The membership comes with a "free" ticket which can be used by an adult or child. We had a coupon from one of their magazines that gave a free child admission with a paying adult so we were set.

Lack of Blogging

Yes, I know, it has been a while. I was keeping a running list of blog posts in my head, but the longer I put off blogging the longer the list got and the less I wanted to blog. So, I have decided to skip them all. Most of you have Facebook anyway and have already seen the Christmas and Disneyland photos. Here are some short updates of what is happening in our lives:
1. The rabbit ran away (or was eaten.)
2. Jericho made student of the month (again) for December.
3. Justin is just starting his second year of Seminary classes. Lots of reading ahead for him.
4. I just had my 30th birthday. Yes, I feel old (but at least I am not the father of a 30 year old.)
5. I have been looking for ways to live more frugally. Does this have something to do with the economy? Probably, although we have always been making small steps in this area. I think the current financial conditions are just a catalyst.
6. We have been trying to live chemical free whenever possible. This means going to all natural products whenever possible. It also has to fit in with our frugal living, so at times it can be a struggle. For the most part, I am amazed at the ways we save money by choosing natural over chemical. Usually it just means a little more work on my part. Our goal is to be good stewards with all of God's provisions, not just the monetary ones.
7. I have stopped using shampoo. (See above for reason) Yes, I still wash my hair. Just not with the chemical laden shampoo. So far I am not too satisfied with the results. Apparently your head has to go through a chemical detox when you stop using shampoo. That is where I am at right now. We'll see if this experiment works out.
8.We will be making a trip up to Oregon for Easter break. For us that is the week before Easter. (I know, weird.) If we don't get to see everyone then, don't worry, we plan on being back up there in August too. I can't believe I did not get to see that beautiful state at all last year. I am in withdrawal.

That's about it. I will post some photos of our recent outing to Legoland as soon as I can.

Smiling Mercy

Big Boy Pants

At Target today we picked up some real underwear for Ransom. My hope is that he will not want to wet his cool new pants, and will go in the potty more consistantly. Well, when we got home, I helped him put on one pair of the new undies. I then went to the kitchen to make lunch. When I called him to eat, I found that he had put on all 3 pairs of underwear!

Being a Mom Who Stays Home

I have been blessed by a number of blogs recently that focus on staying at home, making the most of my time doing so, and glorifying God in EVERYTHING that is done here. One that I have been especially impacted by is this one. I hope that it is an encouragement to you as well.

Do you see what I see?

This is a photo of the palm tree in our backyard. If you look closely, you should be able to see an owl at the top of the trunk under the dead branches.

Photo Tag

I've been tagged by my friend, Mindy. I don't usually do things like this, but I'll do it to make Mindy happy.

Here are the rules:
1. Go to your pictures file.
2. Go to the 4th file.
3. Go to the 4th picture.
4. Post it and tell the story.
5. Tag 4 more people.

I then tag 4 people:
1. Krista
2. Bethany
3. Heidi
4. Kelly

So...here it is:

Hero sitting on Daddy's lap and eating his cereal. This was in the small apartment we were living in when we first moved to Southern California. Fun times.

How I Did

Well, things did not go as well as I had hoped, because I got sick. On the few days that I was feeling "okay", I accomplished great things. I managed to get the oven and stove cleaned, the baking cupboard organized, and both of the kids' rooms cleaned and organized.
I also was able to get our Thanksgiving tree put together, with Hero's help. Hopefully I can get a photo up soon for you to see.
I discovered a new favorite cleaning product:

I used it on the stove and it worked wonderfully. The problem is that it is sometimes hard to find in stores. I got mine at the Albertson's in Sun City (when I was making my own laundry detergent.) This is after calling the company and asking them where I could get it. It was cheaper than buying it online.

The Challenge

I have been challenged this week by some recent blogs that I peruse. My goal is to make my house a haven. If I have time, I will post specifics about this endeavor at the end of this week, so you can see how I did. If you want to join the challenge click here.

When Mommy's Not Looking

This is what happens when Mommy's not looking. Normally the hutch has a wire twisted around it so it can't be opened by Ransom. I let him out to play in the backyard thinking that he wouldn't be able to harm the bunny. I had forgotten that Hero went out before school and fed her pet. She forgot to twist the wire and close the food container. Ransom decided to take it upon himself to give the bunny some more food!

African Safari '08

I didn't get a lot of pics at African Safari this year (only 3 of the same game) because I was helping with the bean bag toss. Justin had to work so the two older kids ran around on their own. My Grandma walked around with Ransom and Mercy until they got too cranky; then she took them to the nursery. The kids all seemed to have fun and we will be eating candy until Valentine's Day!

The Soldier, Superman, "Guitar" Hero, and the Lil' Pumpkin.

Not too sure about the weird costumes her siblings are wearing.

Ransom's favorite game.

Napper in the Hamper

Ransom fell asleep this afternoon in his clothes basket. It took us a while to find him. Normally he likes to crouch down inside the basket and pop up yelling, "Ta Da." I guess he was too tired out for that. Glad to see that he has Elmo to keep him company. (No, not really. I can't stand Elmo.)

Another Tooth

Hero pulled another tooth out tonight. She pulled it out right before dinner. So the topic of conversation around the dinner table revolved around her tooth and the "Tooth Fairy." Every time that Hero pulls a tooth we remind her that the tooth fairy is really Daddy (only once has it been Mommy...her bed is too high!) When we asked Jericho who the tooth fairy really is he gave the perfect Sunday School answer: God.

Mr Pumpkin Head

Here are some photos of the kids decorating their pumpkins. They received these as gifts from Uncle Jon and Aunt Natalie for being in the wedding.

Wedding pics

Here are some photos from my brother's wedding in Cambria this past weekend.

Our first picture with the whole family.

Proud parents

Natalie and Jonathan

Jericho, Grandma Wendell, and Hero

Daddy and Mercy

Shoes

When I was taking pictures of the rabbit, Ransom came out of his room and said, "Cheese!" Notice his brother's sock and shoes on his feet. I am guessing that he wasn't sleeping.

Birthday Bunny

Here is the Bunny that we got Hero for her birthday. We tried to get a picture of it earlier with Hero holding it, but that didn't work out. I finally got this picture when the kids went to bed. It's a little scared. I'm not surprised with this family. Hero named the rabbit "Blacktop."

Random Ramblings

There are various odds and ends that I have been meaning to post, but have not had the time or the energy to do so. Some brief rambles...
~Congrats to the nerd boy (aka my brother) on the purchase of a new home. Now all you need is a kid to put in it!
~Potty training is still in the works. Ransom can actually go to the potty by himself now, but he sometimes gets too distracted by what he is doing. He enjoys taking off his training pants by himself and throwing them away when he does go in them.
~Mercy is going to sleep fairly well, but has recently been waking up about 2 or 3 and staying awake. I sometimes only get about 4 hours of noncontinuous sleep. This is killing me.
~Hero's birthday is tomorrow, but we are planning on having a combined birthday party for her and Ransom at the end of the month. We are a little too busy right now, and she would like to invite friends this time so this is the only way that we can do it. More info to come on that one.
~Justin was finally able to schedule his appointment (for those of you who want to know.)
~We have been seriously battling ants around here. They just keep coming. I think they are immune to Terro bait and all the other poison we are throwing at them. Right now they are coming in through the electrical outlets in the kitchen. They go for any little spot on the floor. Oh yeah, they sometimes bite too!
~Jericho is still loving school. Hero is tired of writing her spelling words four times each for homework. (Mommy is tired of this too.) Ransom wants to go to school with the big kids. He loves it when we take Mitchell and Michael home.
~We have found it interesting that Ransom refers to himself in the first person. He will point to his photo and say "Ransom," but that is about the extent of him using his moniker. Most of the time he says, "I want" or "Let me do it" or my favorite, "Mine." He has been such a crack up to watch while he pretend plays. He loves to play with the little people.
~I have a friend from church in the hospital. She is very lonely and does not have any real family in the area. The doctors are running lots of tests on her, but they don't really know what is wrong with her. Please pray that God will give the doctors wisdom concerning her situation. Also pray that she will not be too lonely during this time. I am only able to visit, for short times each day, and I am not a big fan of the hospital she is in.
~Well, that is about it for now. Oh yeah, it is hot here. This time of year always makes me homesick for Oregon. Hopefully the Lord will bring us back there some day.
Thanks for listening to my rambling.

Doctor Visit

Well, it is just as we assumed. Ransom has eczema. I decided that since I had to take Mercy in for her checkup, I might as well schedule an appointment for Ransom too, just in case. My secret fear was that his rash was a form of premature skin cancer. Thankfully, no, just eczema. (I can blame his father for that one.)
Anyway, on to Mercy. She is 12 lbs 9 oz. She is in the 60 percentile. She is exactly half of Ransom's weight. She got 3 shots and an oral vaccination for Rotovirus. Normally, shots make my kiddos tired. It is actually something I enjoy (no, not seeing them in pain, but I like the break I get when they are sleeping.) Well, Mercy apparently did not get the memo. She did not sleep; she screamed all the way home. She screamed so much at home that I gave her another bath. Mercy loves baths. Unfortunately, they have to end some time and as soon as she was wrapped in the towel she howled again. I finally gave her some pain reliever. Now, even though she is sleeping, she wakes up periodically and cries. Poor thing. Pray that Mommy and Mercy will get some sleep.