Leaving time...as Maddelyn says

Maddelyn has again coined a new phrase. She helped Daddy and Mommy with the "leaving" yesterday. We spent the evening raking the yeard and sweeping the leaves from the driveway. they girls each had a little rake and helped out, or so they thought. Maddelyn told her dad...."Where's my scoop (rake), you know, the one for leaving?" Cute huh? Her eare soem pictures of "leaving" as well as playing with daddy in the pile of leaves before they were swept out to the curb.

Natha and I spent the entire evening working on his great grandma's 100th birthday party invitations. I will have to scan on ein when we are done...but that might be a while! It is just a lot of cutting, glueing, inking, and such to make 50 handmade cards.

Tomorrow morning, Nathan has been asked to be the grand marshall of our city's Veteran's Day parade and to give a short speach afterwards. I will try my best to get soem pictures for you of my little hometown hero!!

Here are a couple of layout that I finished at that crop last weekend. I just love Emma's smile in that first one. The journaling in the second one reads" We waited so long for Emma to get hair in. Now that she has some it has a mind of it's own. It is short on top and long an dcurly in the back.

New Layout

Well, obviously the elections did not quite turn out as we "red" people would have liked them too. The nation is looking a little too blue and especially in the areas of the control of the Senate and the House. But as I tell Nathan, not too much we can do now besides pray and hope this new class on the hill will in someway help prepare thr country for 2008. Enough about gloomy politics for now though.

Here is one of the layouts that I did at a crop last weekend. I hope to get the rest of them uploaded tomorrow. It's funny because since I came back from CHA this summer I kinda have been burnt out on scrapbooking? I mean yeah, I have been doing things here and there, but not getting much done. Since I have come home from the crop on Friday night, I have scrap'ed everyday! WOW! What is even funnier is that with me on bedrest, this is the perfect opportunity to get some extra layouts done before the baby comes, but for some reason I just haven't been in the mood. Hopefully that has changed now?

Did you do YOUR civic Responsibilty????

Well, it is that time again.....ELECTION DAY!!!! So, have you done your civic responsibility yet and gone to the polls? I know that after weeks of dog-eat-dog political commericials, you're probably sick of politics, but don't let that keep you from casting your vote! As I heard someone this weekend say...you can't complain if you don't VOTE!

Besides that, I see it in a different manner. I see it as my responsiblity as a Christian Conservitive to cast my vote. Many people say that there is a seperation between church and state...(which is a twisted phrase to be discussed another day)...but I say they ARE connected as far as my vote! How can I say that what is being considered on the ballot, including the issues that my elected officials will be voting on, does not concern my church or faith? The issues facing our polititions today are not just on taxes, homeland security, and the national debt. Most of the issues they face are social issues such as abortion, same sex marriage, and stem cell research that DO directly affect the church! The way my elected officials vote on these very important issues directly affects the world that my daughters will grow up in. So the sum up of all of this is; going to the polls is not just to elect some person to office to keep the government running...it is to PRESERVE OUR HERITAGE for our children and grandchildren!!!! Enough soap box!

Nathan and I will proudly go to the polls to cast our votes. The last time we visited there, we were casting ballots with Nathan's name on the list for US Congress. He did indeed not win the primary last May, but we PROUDLY go and cast our vote for the winner of that Republican Primary seat Jim Jordan. Yes, he was an opponent, but now that the primaries are over we are on the same team. We have moved on to the general election and seeing to it that our conservative valued candidates get all the support they need to win!

Nathan and I spent a couple of hours last night trying to help out with the final pre-election push. We (menaing mostly Nathan) went door-to-door passing out voting information. Ok...I sat in the car witht he girls while Nathan ran the literature up to the door of each house. I was just there for moral support and to run him from street to street. :D But hey, how much can a pregnant wife do on bedrest???

So have a great election day and remember.....

VOTE EARLY AND VOTE OFTEN! :D

The weekend is half over already!

Well we have had a busy weekend already! Yesterday I decided that I was going to my local scrapbook store's Friday night crop. While I was there Nathan had a few guys from church over to play cards and they hired a sitter to watch all of the kids. I did get 4 or 5 layouts done, which I hope to post in the next couple of days. Last night we also had pictures taken of all of my mom's grandkids. That was an adventure, but anytime you ask Emma to sit still is anymore!

Today Nathan had National Guard and I went to my friend's baby shower that I had mentioned. It was a really nice shower but kinda wierd to have a baby shower,for a baby whose sex is not known. Let's just say there was a lot of green and yellow!

Today was also my dad's birthday. My brother's family, our family, my parents, and my grandma all went out to eat at the Roadhouse. It was great, but man am I full! Of course they came out and sang to him. He just kinda chuckled, but the kids thought it was hilarious that they were singing to Grandpa while he was wearing a cowboy hat! Even little Emma giggled!

Speaking of Emma Grace, she woke up sick today. She has had a high fever all day and a slight runny nose. She slept most of the day. Poor little thing. Maddelyn was not feeling well this week also. She was just kinda whiney with a low fever, but she is feeling much better now. Emma always has seemed to get the worse of whatever sickness comes through our house.

Pre-election Week and a Pregnancy Album

Its been a few days since my last post....On Sunday afternoon we went to Emma's "boyfriend's" birthday party and then trick-or-treating with his family. I think there is a picture of Hunter at Emma's birthday party.

Monday was just a normal day on bedrest..nothing to report there! Yesterday Nathan and I went down to the local Republican Headquarters to volunteer for the day. Nathan made phone calls and I helped to sort, count, and organize literature to be handed out when people go door-to-door. It was kinda wierd to be back in the swing of campainging here in Richland County. We have not done that since Nathan's primary. Today Nathan spent the morning going door-to-door in our local precinct. I think there are about 150 houses on his walking list? Yeah, that brings back a lot of memories of all of those doors we knocked on this spring!

Here is an album that I have been working on this week for a friend's baby shower. Hopefully she doesn't read my blog??? Oh well. I used one of the new Maya Roads Chipboard Albums and LOVED it! You can take each page out of the binder as you decorate it, making it is sooo much easier! It's really sturdy too! You'll probably be seeing a lot more of these albums on my blog! There are more pages to the album of course, but this gives you an idea. I guess Blogger is just NOT my firend tonight trying to upload these pictures! I have like 4 more I wanted to post? I guess I will just try to update it later, so check back to see the rest of the album including the cover!!! LOL!

Shhhh...don't tell the doctor I was not in bed......

Well we went to the twin sale! My mom and I had a lot of fun sorting through chest high tables full of baby and children's items! We did end up with a ton though! When we left, mom had a duffel bag full, I had a new pink boppy, a pack-n-play, and a rolling cart FULL of baby clothes, bibs, blankets, onezies, hats, socks, and everything else! Of course I did pick up a few items for the girls. After that we headed to Polaris to have lunch and look through the mall. Of course Strasburg Children's, Gymboree, and Janie n Jack were all very tempting, but we did our shopping at the big clearance sales at Carter's and Old Navy.

This evening Nathan and I went on a date movie night to see Flags of our Father's. Being a war movie, of course it was a bit to gory for me, but over all it was good. Basically it makes you want to go and find a veteran just to say thank you! I could go onto a whole ranting about this...but the sum up is......we as Americans can NEVER do or say thank you enough for the sacrafices of our veterans and the men and women serving over seas today.

New Layouts

Well, bedrest is helping me catch up on a bit of scrapbooking? Here a re a few of the most recent layouts I have done. The one titled HOPE is different for me. I am not used to doing this type of a simpler/cleaner layout style. Sometimes I get a bit crazy and overdone with the patterned paper and embellishments!

Tomorrow morning my mom and I are going to the bi-annual twin sale in Columbus. This sale is like Heaven for garage salers. It is in a church gymnasium, as we as a couple of other rooms. They have anything related to babies, kids, or maternity. Basically, wall to wall, stacked chest high on the tables kinda sale! So we are getting up bright and early to be down there when the doors open. I am hoping not only to get some clothes for the baby but also maybe a new playpen and cradle. We'll see? Nathan says I am the ebay queen....I am not far behind in my garage sale/bargain hunting either!

My Hubby Met his Hero!!!

Well he did it!! My hubby got to meet his hero President Bush!!!! Nathan is in Iowa right now, and attended a fundraiser that Bush was speaking at. After he finished his speach, everyone got in line to shake his hand. While in line Nathan reached out and said something like, "It was honor sir to have served under you for the 13 months that I was in Iraq." Bush then pulled Nathan out of line and handed a bystander Nathan's camera to get a photo of the two of them! How neat huh! Nathan was tickled! Here is the famous picture...with a bit of photo touch up from the photographer wife of course!!! It almost looks like Nathan was cropped in doesn't it? Nope, it's real! To think that Nathan went form Iraq to Congressional candidate to National coordinater for a Presidential Candidate to Meeting the President...and all in one year! Man, at this rate Nathan just might make president himself one year! Love you lots Nathan!!!

Halloween Camping 2006

Here are a few photos of the kids in their costumes for Trick or Treat whiel Camping. Austin was a woopie cushion, Zoey and Regan were pink poodles, Morgan and Cathern were Ohio State Cheerleaders, and Maddelyn and Emma were Fairy Princesses. these are not the best pictures, but hey...better than nothing. Why is it that a mom who scrapbooks is always the one chasing kids trying to get them to hold still for the camera or adding finishing touches to their costume while DAD takes the pictures??? Shouldn't mom who is into photography being doing the pics?? LOL?





Here is a picture of Emma google-eyeing the candy to be passed out to the Trick-or-Treaters! She seriously LOVES food!!! I laugh saying that she can hear someone open a food wrapper from a mile a way!

I have been busy catching up on some scrap project while I bedrest. I hope to get some photos downloaded of them tomorrow to put on here. We'll see. I have an orthodontist appt tomorrow but then lots of free time. after all I am on bedrest and Nathan is in Iowa with the campaign. So lots of time to scrap and surf the chat boards on 2peas!

It's Snowing!!!!

Yes, no joke! This morning here in Ohio, there are big, white, fluffy snowflakes filling the air! It is a beautiful thing, but kinda wierd that it is Oct 23rd and this is our second snow of the year already. I hope this does not mean it will be a bad winter. Last winter was VERY mild, so hopefully this winter will not try to make up for that. It does look wierd to see my neighbor's lawns filled with leaves and pumpkins....that are being snowed on!

Maddelyn was excited to see it snowing this morning. Once of the first things she said to her dad was "so is my new sister coming today?" See, back in the late Spring when we found out I was pregnant, it was hard to explain to Maddelyn how long it would be until the baby arrived, so I said after it snows and after Christmas we would get our baby. Well it snowed today!!! She also told me today "but we don't have a tree at our house." Meaning she was worried about not having a Christmas tree up yet! It's hard to set up a time table for a three year old on winter when the first snow comes in OCTOBER!!! Poor little thing thinks it is time for Christmas and the baby that is due in Jan!

It's also kinda wierd to think that we were camping yesterday and now it's snowing!!! That kind of tells you what the weather was like for us. It was cold and rainy most of the weekend, but Saturday was beautiful and about 55? But we were all troopers and had fun camping out in it anyways. On Thursday night we actually had about 30 people huddled under huge umbrellas sitting in lawn chairs around the fire. As long as no one moved we all stayed dry and warm.

I think we ended up with about 40 people there including 13 kids, 4 and under. I always tell people that our family has them in litters!!! We had 3 sets of twins in that group as well! So, needless to say our camping lot was filled with 13 bikes, wagons, strollers, baby dolls, and such! It was nice that they all got to play together though. It is so hard for them when all their cousins are states away.

Trick-or-Treating went well. The girls all looked so cute in their fairy princess outfits. They both had tiny tiaras on as well as their Tinkerbell wings. I have a bunch of pictures to download hopefully tonight once I can sit and sort through them. Emma was so funny this year. We would go to a campsite and get a piece of candy in her pumpkin bucket and she would just stare at it until someone else put more candy into the bucket! Eventually she would say "get candy" each time someone put more in. She did sneak one sucker while we were walking around, but that is not bad after seeing her eyes each time candy was placed in her bucket. My child LIVES for food!!!

The Poodle Party was a success

The party went great! All for the 9 kids there had a blast dressing up in their poodle headbands, dog collars, and poodle cuffs. They all had pink noses and wiskers painted on their faces as well.
Emma looking adorable in her poodle skirt outfit that day. this skirt was made for me by my aunt when I was about Emma's age. Maddelyn wore it as well. Doesn't Emma look just too cute in it!!! Perfect for a poodle party!

These were the poodle cupcakes that I spent FOREVER on! This on was a left over so of course I did not think to take shots of the better looking ones before they were eaten! The ears are pink orange slices, the snout is a piece of bubble gum, the eyes and nose are mini baking chocolate chips, and the fur is mini marshmallows.

Here is Maddelyn making the craft...a doggy collar.

Here is Emma's Grandma CArla wearing puppy ears as well.

This is Emma's "boyfriend" Hunter!!! They just adore eachother, but fight like cats! It would not have been a party without him there to celebrate with her!

Maddleyn and Emma looking cute as puppies.

Things are trying to settled back down to normal, but not for long! Our family has their HUGE family camp out this weekend so we will be leaving Wed. for the camp out. We having a guy that works with my aunt coming down to the campground to take family pictures for us. I will have to post them when we get the proofs back from him. We have around 40 people coming this weekend from 4 different states! We are just hoping for the sunshine to hold out for us. I will bring back pictures of course!!!

New Layouts

Here are a few layouts that I have finished lately. The one of Emma and I is for her NICU album. I kinda made a promise to myself that I would at least finish her NICU pictures before the new baby comes. After all, she is 2 now! LOL! I guess I just do so much work for other people that I am kinda behind on my own albums.

The journaling on the first one is "Before you were concieved I wanted you....Before you were born I loved you....Before you were here an hour I would give my life for you. this is the miracle of life."


Journaling on this one reads "People tell us all the time to treasure each moment because they grow so fast. We kinda chuckle because somedays we think the terrible toddler years will never end. But when I look back at pages like these, I think that my girls are growing up way too fast."

I am just doing a quick post today because I am in the swirl of getting ready for a poodle party. I am in cupcake central...literally! We have to make about 90 cupcakes for tomorrow!!! Each poodle cupcake takes a regular sized cupcare as well as a mini one. I'll post a picture when they are done, but you'll see. It's kinda an all day project.

The party is tomorrow and the girls are just so excited about it. We have been busy all week buying and making decorations as well as poodle ear headbands, dog collars, and wrist cuffs for all the kids to decorate and wear. So needless to say...I'm kinda poodled out by now!!!

Emma Grace is 2!!!!

Emma is two today! I just can't believe it! As Nathan said this morning when we woke up, it seems just like yesterday that we were in the NICU watching our tiny baby struggle for each breath. What a long way we have come since then! We have seen breathing monitors, heart specialist, failur to thrive, therapist, weight checks, and so much more! To think that my little porker belly kid once had to have weight checks once a week to make sure she was gaining fast enough! It's almost like once she realized what food was for, there was no stopping her! She lives for food!

We woke her up this morning with a "Happy Birthday Emma!" Then took her downstiars to a decorated house and a pancake breakfast form daddy. She just was so excited, except I think maybe sister was just a tad bit more!!! Maddelyn's first words this morning were "Where's the cake?" She does not understand that Emma's birthday is today but her Pink Poodle Birthday Party is not until Saturday. Maddelyn is probably just as excited with Emma's birthday as she would be her own! She has been helping us get ready for the party as well as pick up the gifts. Maddelyn I think went and just picked out what she herself wanted and said..here...Emma will like these! Oh well! Emma will like them! Maddelyn also hand stamped her sister a birthday card last night! Such a cute big sister! We have plans tonight to go out to eat with the grandma's to celebrate.

Happy Birthday Little Man!

My little man is growing up! My dear nefew turned 9 today! WOW! Nathan and I have always said he was practically our first born. Austin was born when I was 15 and he has always had a special place in my heart. I remember whenever we would babysit people would always ask how old MY baby was! I was only 15?? Anyways from then on he was my little buddy. He used to run around with my girlfriends and I in high school and was even the a prom date to one of them! He was also the hardest thing for me to leave when I went to college in TN. It is hard to believe that he was only 2 1/2 when I went to Lee. Man that makes me feel old. He is such an awesome kid as well. He does great with not only his twin little sisters, but with all little ones! I think that Emma places her "Austie" in 2nd place only after her Papa! It's amazing to watch my little "goober" peanut turn into such a wonderful little man. I thank God for the blessings that he has been in all of our lives and pray that God continues to shape and mold this little guy into the awesome man of God that he is becoming. So my little man turned 9 today, my how time does fly!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUSTIN!!!!

Doesn't that picture make him look just like his dad?

We have a winner!!!

We have our winner!!!! Congrats to Megan from Missouri with the lucky guess of 367!!!! My number was 360.

Megan won a lot of A2Z Essentials papers including The new Art Box and Vintage that were releases at CHA! I also included the lines Island Blossom and Harmony In Color ...two favorites! Congrats Megan! You can pemail me your address so I can get this in the mail for you. My Pea names is Scrapalot278.

I also have quite a bit of scrapbooking items on ebay right not. I once agian did a clean sweep of my stash....have to have something to keep me busy on bedrest! One of the auctions is for additional A2Z Papers if you're interested.

Cold Thursday Contest!

Just becuase it's a cold Thursday here in Ohio and my girls make me smile...I have decided to do a contest today!!! I want to see how many states I can get a comment from, so.....here it goes! Leave me a comment with your state as well as a number guess between 1 and 500. I will then have Maddelyn choose a random number froma cup to win a RAK!!! I will not spill the beans about what it is, but I am on a certian design team??? Hint Hint!

Good Luck! I wonder if we can hit all 50 states?

Just for fun...

Besides a trip to Wally World, I'm pretty much done for the day. For all of those worried about me going to Wally World on bedrest, I decided to use my 2 hours out of bed back-to-back and get groceries. I think I will be waiting a while to do that one by myself again. Nathan's sister Elizabeth is coming today to stay with us while I am on bedrest. That should help alot with the girls as well as getting things around the house done. My grandma has also been helping out with dishes, laundry and such. I went to the DR yesterday adn he said no dialation...woohoo, but he kinda worried me. You know how you always go by his tone of voice and such on how serious things are or how concerned he is about something? Well we were chatting and his theme was...WHEN the baby comes early, and that we would be happy with a Christmas baby! I said that I have already done a 36 weeker and it was not fun, his response was we would be happy with a 36 weeker! Kinda makes you think he is pretty sure we will not make it until Jan 23rd? But besides that, everything is fine.

While I am sitting here....trying to relax on bedrest, I thought I would play along with this silly Q&A that was on a friend's blog today.

1) Are your parents married or divorced? Married

2) Vegetarian? definitely not...Nathan woudl not have married me!! But I am pretty picky about my meats.

3) Heaven? for sure

4) Came close to dying?Not that I recall, but there are several time I have praised God for near misses on the highway.

5) What jewelry do you wear 24/7? my wedding rings, my saphire ring, and my diamond studs in my second piercings on my ears.

6) Are you eating? We just finished lunch...Burger King

7) Do you eat the stems of broccoli? I guess?

8) Would you ever have plastic surgery? Hmmm??? Not currently but if there was an accident or something? Maybe?

9) Have you ever done anything illegal? speeding and a bit in high school, but nothing too serious.

10) Can you roll your tongue? Yes

11) What kind of sneakersI think they are Nike's? I only wear them once in a great while. I am not much of a sneaker kinda gal.

12) Do you believe in Abortion? definitely not. This is my soap box...but I will sum it up with this........A woman has the right to choose, when she goes to bed that night on whether she wants a baby or not! After that, it is not our decision. People always say what about rape or insest....which happens FAR less than you think, but anyways it's called ADOPTION! How can someone expect me to sum up such a heated issue with 2 lines???

13) What is your hair color? brown

14) Future child's name? Well baby #3 really isn't a future child, but so far we have Claire or Caroline

15) Do you snore? no

16) If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be? Hawaii or Germany

17) Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? when nathan is not here I sleep with his stuffed animal from college, a huge floppy elephant named Eeyore.

18.) If you won the lottery, what would you do first? Pay tithes, pay off our debt, buy a house, set up a college fund for the kids, I'd help pay off family members morgages, give to church projects, and go on a vacation with my family

19) Gold or silver? Silver

20) Hamburger or hot dog? Hamburger...I hate hot dogs

21) If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Do popsicles count as a food?? If not then Clausen Dill Pickles

22.) City, beach or country? Country

23) What was the last thing you touched? a bag of stuff I just bought at Walmart

24) Where do you eat dinner? the kitchen table

25) When's the last time you cried? lets see...I'm pregnant...so 2 nights ago?

26) Do you read blogs? yes

27) Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex? I'm pretty girly so no

28) Ever been involved with the police? My mom works for the police department?

29) What's your favorite shampoo/conditioner and soap? Tresemme and Bath and Body wash

30) Do you talk in your sleep? I used to when I was little

31) Ocean or pool? pools, scared of creepy crawlies under my feet in the ocean

32) What's your favorite song at the moment? there are quite a few praise and worship songs out that I like.

33) What's your favorite color(s)? pink of course

34) Window seat or aisle seat? with kids...aisle seat to trap them in, without kids....window seat

35) Ever met anyone famous? Newt Gingrich, Sean Hannity, Anne Coulter, Dr. dobson...can you tell we live in a political family?

36) Do you feel that you've had a truly successful life? I don't think I will be able to tell until it's over? I think I've done ok so far?

37) Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it? cut it

38) Ricki Lake or Oprah Winfrey? not really either....Dr. Phil is more like it!

39) How long do your showers last? If I have time, 20 min

40) Do you drive a stick? nope

41) Cake or ice cream? ice cream...bryers strawberry

42) Have you ever given money to a bum? yes

43) When was your first crush? 2nd grade

44) Where do you wish you were? anywhere but bedrest

45) Have you ever rode in an ambulance? not in an emergency...just grew up in them with parents on the FD

46) Can you tango? wish I could

47) Last gift you received? baby clothes form my friend Alicia

48) Last sport you played? anyone who knows me is laughing at this question

49) Things you spend a lot of money on? groceries, bills and such...but things I love to buy are kids clothes, children's books, and candles

50) Where do you live? Ohio

51) Last wedding attended? My own??? People keep eloping on me!!!

52) Favorite fast food restaurant? Fazoli's

53) Most hated food(s)? onions, peas, lima beans and chocolate

54) Can you sing? if praise and worship on Sunday counts?

55) Last IM? I do more chatting on boards

56) What's your least fav. chores? dishes

57) Favorite beverage? sweet tea, but only in the south, mt dew, cherry coke, barq's...and since all of those have caffine in them...welches grape juice

Pictures from DC

Well, here are 1/2 of the photos from our trip that I promised in yesterday's post. The girls are not being patient enough for me to upload all of the photos right now, so I will finish later on tonight or tomorrow. The pics are backwards in order of when we took them...of course! Here is a run down of the 1st half of them.....


1.Ford's Theater

2.A DC squirrel that Nathan had to have a pic of! I think this is the mascot animal of DC...well maybe the pigeons with the ankle braclets are?

3. My friend Alicia and I holding up matching shirts we bought for our baby girls.

4. My friend Alicia and I with our baby bellys!

5. Ann Colter

6. bush Imperseronator

7. National Archives

8. National Archives

9. The view crossing Penn. Ave...only in a city like that can you see sucha beautiful sight just walking in a crosswalk.

10. Nathan at the Dubliner.

Back from DC

Well we're home. We got back on Tuesday, but being on bed rest and all, my energy levels don't always leave time for blogging. We had a wonderful time in DC. And no....I didn't overdo it. I actually really enjoyed the trip and my free time there with no schedule or kids to worry about. I think I was less stressed there than at home? Here is a brief rundown of my trip....

Wednesday - We get to the hotel...a Hilton! at about 4:30 which leaves just enough time to relax a bit and then go to dinner at our favorite restaurant in DC. We ate at the Dubliner's which is a really casual Irish Pub. Nathan and I always have to stop in at least once on our trip for their Reubens and Shepard Pie.

Thursday - Nathan had to meet his candidate for the day going to meetings in DC, so I had my first day on my own. I decided to go down to the American History Museum at the Smithsonian. I took a cab down there and then found out it was closed for the next 2 years to remodel! UHHHH! So I walked around a bit and ended up at the Natural History Museum. It was kinda neat, but waaaaaay too much evolution for me! I know I came from a man and a woman in a garden, not some furry little chipmunk looking thing? I did get to see some dinosaur bones and the Hope Diamond though. They had a neat exhibit of mammals too which was neat. I was like walking through a zoo, except all the animals were stuffed! Kinda weird to have all those dead animals and the evolution thing in one museum??? How did the liberals get the evolution in but they let someone hunt and kill all those animals? LOL! The mammal part reminded me of some republican hunter's den...I guess the liberals in Washington are slipping!

That night we went to dinner with John Cox...Nathan's candidate, and our friend Steve. We had a wonderful dinner at Ruth Crisp's Steakhouse. It was nice, but I don't think my steak was worth $40.00?

Friday - Nathan had a busy day at the Washington Briefing...a Christian conservative conference, so I was on my own again. I went tot he National Archives to do a bit of family research for my aunt. It was so overwhelming! We did not end up finding what we were looking for but it was worth it just to go in and look around!

That night I had dinner with Nathan at the hotel that the conference was being held at and then attended the conference. We saw this hilarious comedian who looked just like Bush! Way too funny! We also hear Ann Colter that night! Gotta love a loud FEMALE conservative voice out there. All the loud female voices are way to the left it seems.

Saturday - I drove into Maryland to see my very dear friend Alicia, from college. My 25 mile trip ended up taking me 2 hours...but I would rather not go into it. Lets just say that we are not moving into DC until we can afford to hire a driver! UHH! DC traffic! We spent the day together chatting and I did get to see her mom as well. Alicia is due a month before me with her first little girl Emma-lee! So funny to think my best friend from college and I are pregnant together!

Sunday - This was our last day in DC and the conference only had a morning session so Nathan and I got to spend some time together. We went down to the Ford's Theater Museum and got to look around. There were lots of neat artifacts on display. We then went down to the Smithsonians...Nathan made me ride in a wheel chair we borrowed from my grandma. We looked through the Air-Space Museum and the Art Museum and then headed to the waterfront for an all you can eat buffet. That night we returned to Ford's theater to watch a play. The play was really good, but it was amazing to see the booth were President Lincoln was shot! you know me and history!

Monday - We left the hotel and headed for Pa to get the girls. We also got to go to Nathan's brother's 16th birthday party at an indoor water park. The girls just loved it!

Tuesday - We headed home!

Wednesday - Nathan left for another trip and the girls and I went to my aunt's house in Willard for the duration. Nathan did not trust me home alone on bed rest. He said I would do way too much! He returned Saturday and the girls and I came back to home to meet him.

It looks like Nathan's younger sister is coming to stay with us while I am on bed rest so that the girls and I don't have to keep going to family member's houses to be babysat. that should be a huge stress relief in itself!!!

****Blogger is not letting me upload pics tonight, so I will try again tomorrow.

What will I do with myself for the next 10 weeks????

Well, the garage sale went well. Nathan returned form his buisness trip, and Maddleyn still loves school. She now can say her full name and address! It's so cute to hear it! The girls leave in the morning for PA to visit their grandparents while we go to DC for 5 days. Nathan has a buisness trip and I am tagging along with him. I will probably be visitn gthe National Archives as well as some of the Smithsonians while he is at his confrence. I am also supposed to meet up with my best friend from College, Alicia, who is expecting her first little girl in Dec. But, this trip might get more complicated after our Dr visit today.

Well, we went to the OB today. It was my regualar check up, but I have been having more contractions, even through the progesterone shots. So, he said flat out that I am doing too much. Even though there is no dialation or thinning of the cervix yet, I am having way to many contractions for 22 weeks. His point was that we are not even to the viability point of 24 weeks yet, let alone anywhere close to delivering a healthy baby. So, he put me on partial bedrest. Basically I will be allowed up an hour in the morning and and hour in the afternoon to do whatever needs done around the house and then it's back on the couch for me. My first thought was...you're kidding??? I have two toddlers and a hubby who travels all the time? No way is that possible? But, my doctor scolded me and basically said you have already had one preterm baby at 36 weeks with problems...it's not worth risking/fooling around with these contractions especially at 22 weeks. He said that he wants me to be in bed until at least 32 weeks.....thats 10 more weeks...and then we would talk. He said a 32 weeker is still a tiny baby but much better than a 22 weeker. So, now Nathan and I are trying to figure out how to manage all of this with him traveling so much and two little girls who need constant attention. Yes, someone can come and help out during the days, but what about when they leave and before they come in the morning? Do I chases kids? We could go and stay with family, but I HATE the thought of uprooting our lives and home for the next AT LEAST 10 weeks? I mean the help would be great, but I really hate the thought of living in another person's home for the next 10 weeks basically loosing all routine we have, and just before the baby comes. Just when we think life is falling into a routine with Maddleyn's school, story hour, Nathan's trips, my ebay stuff, potty training Emma, and the baby on the way......we get a curve ball. So, now what??? Basically the woman in me got a slap in the face today. I am a control freak...do it all yourself...independent kinda person who now has to be on bed rest. This should be definitely a learning experience...or shall we say a test of my will and faith!

Oh yeah, still no name? Maybe it is a boy and that's why we can't choose?

My Little Preschooler!

Well we my baby is now a homeschooler! She started preschool yesterday and LOVES it! She was so cute! After finishing her work for the day she says..."But I wan tto do school again!" I told her we woudl have to wait until tomorrow! Cute huh? She really does pick up things fast thoguh! Just like her daddy!

Not too much to report today. Nathan is off on another campaign trip for the next three days. I am leaving in the morning for my parents' house for a couple of days. We are going to be having a garage sale there on Thur and Fri. Oh, a couple of friends had thier babies last night! Congrats Adavee and Kirsten! Welcome babies Lydia Jane and Lillie Ann! Such cute names! Now if baby #3 only had a name...huh! Nathan says it will come...but not yet! She is still just baby #3 for now!

So where was I?

I was in class that morning at Lee, just a normal Tuesday/Thursday schedual. After class I went to the sidewalk outside of my class' building to wait for Nathan. It was where we always met after class so we could walk to chapel together. I remember him running up and saying have you heard? I was like what??? He then told me that there had been a plane fly into a building in NYC. I remember him telling someothere people and me saying honey, why don't you find out if it's true before you tell everyone. We then walked into chapel and found some seats. Nathan told me that he had been in class with a girl who heard it all on the radio on her way to school that morning. I remember pre-chapel was just like always, everyone was laughing, meeting up with friends, and such. Nothing different than always. Then there was this girl who got up on stage before everyone and said does no one know what is going on? She continued on about all those poor people and thier families and how we should be more respectful and not be goofing off. The problem was that no one had any clue what was happening outside of Lee that morning. We had all gotten up, gone to class, adn now waiting for chapel, just like everyone else. I remember that during chapel they had told us the news and then shortly afterwards they turned on the huge screen projectors in the audorium to the news. We all just stood there, not leaving for class yet, kinda in this blur. I remember them playing the replay clip of the first plane hitting the towers and it was surreal. I remember thinking it looks no different than an action movie clip? Are we as a society that numbed out that it did not horrify me to see that plane crashing in to that building. To me it wasn't real, just a story on the news. The USA couldn't be attacked? We were invincible! But yet, we weren't. Those were real people who had real families and real lives. It wasn't just a movie, it was something happening before our eyes that would change our lives forever.

They say each generation has it's big event. My mom's was when Kennedy got shot. My grandmother had 2, Pearl Harbor and the great depression. See after each of these events, our lives as Americans changed forever. Not always a bad change, but it would never be the same again. You see the first hint of a change in our lives was that Nathan had just returned from his basic training for the Army National Guard. As soon as he found out he called his unit to see what he had to do. He was told that they were on standby and that he was not to leave the state? But the National Guard was a one-weekend-a-month-pay-for-college-sandbag-tornado-clean-up kinda job? They don't do terrorists attacks do they? Little did we know that they did and that this new war on terror would end up taking Nathan half way around the world hunting for men capable of doing things such as another 911. Another change in our lives was that we are no longer bullet proof. We now have to be on our guard protecting ourselves from that evil that wants to hurt and destroy everything we know as good. I for one am totally for this even if it includes giving up some of my so-called civil liberties such as taking a coffee on an airplane, having my bags x-rayed and possibly even opened, having the possibility of someone listening in on a phone call of mine (not that they would though because it's only those who have a HISTORY OF TERRORIST ACTIVITIES), or even going through a metal detector to enter a government building. I say, hey if it keeps my family and I safe, you're more than welcome to imposse on us! Many people think we are still living in a pre-911 world...we're not. The game has changed and now we have to defend the goal line from the enemy, not just always be on offence in their half of the endzone. On that Tuesday morning they brought the game to us here. When Nathan is asked if he thinks we should still be in Iraq or if he should have gone, he always says the same thing.......I would much rather spend 18 months away from my family in Iraq then for the war to come here to my girls.

It's a ????????

Well as you can probably tell by the photos, yesterday was the day to find out what we are getting for baby #3! We had our ultrasound yesterday...

and......

the nurse said.....

that we.....

should probably .......

buy P-I-N-K!!!!!!


Yep, it's a girl! Man were we surprised! I think just about everyone who knows us was expecting a boy! Not this time! So we are going to be the proud parents of 3 girls! WOW! We were so surprised that I spent this afternoon sorting through boys clothes to put on ebay and retuning a few outfits to Children's Place. Ok, so maybe we were jumping the gun a bit, but hey what's the chances that we would have a girl 3 times in a row? HaHa!

Maddelyn was not too happy! She actually cried when we told her! See, she wanted a girl originally, but then she realized that all her little friends at church have baby brothers. She says she already has a sister so she wanted a boy. When we told her, all she kept saying was "But I wanted a boy baby!...again and again! Poor thing. She was not happy until I told her that everyone we knew who was pregnant was also getting girl babies, so she was ok with that. My little girl is such the conformist! She has to be like everyone else!

Fall is Here and Emma Loves the Potty!!!

We had a wonderful time camping last weekend, eventhough it rained. Yes, typical fall weather...cool...and wet! Friday evenin we spent in the camper watching movies, but the girls did not mind that at all. Saturday morning we got up and went to Amish Country. We did some shopping at Lehman's hardwear store and a bulk food store and then had lunch at he little resteraunt we always go to in Kidron. We all had hamloaf...YUM! That is the only place I ever get it and I love hamloaf! Saturady afternoon Nathan came in and we spent the afternoon outside. I was muddy but not raining. It was nice to sit around the fire! It started raing Saturday night, but that did not stop us! We took a walk with umbrellas! My dad wire tied a HUGE golf umbrella onto the wagon and to the girls had their own tent! (Emma's newest word is brella.) Sunday was beautiful! My grandparents came down for the day and we celebrated my grandma's birthday with a cake. Nathan and Maddelyn really worked on riding her bike as well. My brother also came down for the day and spent the night with us. Monday was goregous, but of course that was the day we packed up and came home! That evening we had some friends over for a cook out and then a movie. What a nice holiday weekend.

**Note - I have cute pictures of camping, but blogger wont let me load them up??? I'll try again later.

Yesterady my mom took Maddelyn back to Willard, and Nathan was busy all day trying to meet a deadline, so it was just Emma and I. I figured that was a good day to try the ....learn to potty in one day method. So, we did. She did not get it quite a swell as Maddelyn did when we did it with her, but Maddelyn was 2 1/2 when we did her. Emma went three times in a row in the potty with no accidents! Well, after abotu two hours she had had enough potting and needed a nap...as did I! So we had to take a time out. After naps she was dry, but would not go for me. She ended up having an accident, as well as another one before bed? So I have no idea how it went....but I do know...she loves the potty!!!!!

Well, today is the day......we go for our ultrasound today to try to see what we are having! I will try to get some pictures, but I am not sure if they will let me or not. I'll be on later tonight or in the morning to let you all know...pink or blue??????

Bubbles Galore!

I am getting ready to head out the door for camping, but I thought I would leave you with a few pictures of the girls blowing bubbles with daddy a couple of weeks ago. They just love chasing the bubbles to pop them after daddy uses the big bubble wand.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend and try to take some time off to spend with the family!!!!