Can I get a yikesa?!

(image: Lex. -Fayette Urban Country Government webpage)

6:30 this morning I was awakened by the sound of a large truck.
I quickly remembered we forgot to take out the garbage. Again.
I looked out the window to see what truck it was and it was the recycling truck.
Eh. Not worth it. We still had room to squish boxes in our can. The thing is huge.
I checked everyone else's cans to see if the garbage truck had been by.
It seemed like it had. Their bins were not right next to the curb so it appeared I had missed the truck.
Again.
I went back to bed fretting about where we were going to put our garbage until next Friday since our can was full and I didn't want to have stinky trash in our garage. I also wondered how we were so bad about remembering that Friday is garbage day, because seeing everyone else's garbage cans out is apparently not a good enough indication for us.
Can you believe I spent ten minutes thinking about this?!
Anyway, I fell back asleep.
Around 7:30 am I was awakened again, looked out and indeed it was the garbage truck.
I quickly scurried out the door and ushered "Herbie" (yes, our city names our receptacles) down to the curb. As I headed back up I noticed a neighbor outside, some lawn care people taking care of a neighbors lawn, and of course the garbage men themselves who were present all looking at me. Disheveled hair and pajamas. A nice look. In my defense, I wear cute pajamas to bed, no moo-moos or baggy T's. I like to go to bed in style.
Anyway, I didn't care.
I got my garbage to the curb and didn't have to worry about a stinky garage the rest of the week.

Hope you have a great weekend!

ready for summer.

This afternoon the boys and I had a picnic outside and played. It was SO gorgeous out. Bring on summer!

and these cutie patooties....

Evan. Juliana. and Maxwell. Party at our house, and the kids sat in the corner! I'm not sure what Max is doing, but Juliana thinks that pink cup sure is tasty, and Evan is trying to ham it up as best he can.

I leave you with Fresh Blueberry Muffins.

Tomorrow we head out to Wisconsin for the weekend. Justin's sister Joelle is graduating High School and it will be fun to see everybody.
This morning though,I made these scrumptious blueberry muffins. Normally I don't care for blueberry anything but I was excited to try these. I ate 3. I better slow up or I am on my way to a 60 lb. weight gain with this baby!
Fresh Blueberry Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teas. salt
1 cup milk
4 oz. ( 1 sitck) unsalted melted and cooled butter
1 extra large egg, room temperature
1 cup fresh blueberries
finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
Pre-heat oven to 375.
Combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in large mixing bowl. Use wooden spoon to stir together well.
In a small bown combine milk, butter and egg. Add to dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. This batter should be slightly lumpy.
Fold in the blueberries and lemon zets into batter.
Use spoon to divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups, fillng them to the top.
Bake about 20 minutes, until they are light golden brown and a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Remove pan from oven and cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temp.
Enjoy!

the hives mystery...

And no...I'm not talking about the Swedish rock band.
Sunday morning I woke up to an itch. I noticed a red rash all over and the scratching like a monkey began. During church I still was itchy but the morning sickness was getting to me more. I felt sick the whole service and finally afterward began to feel better as we left for home. I took a long nap that afternoon and was all itchy and red that night. We had a meeting at church at which I spent the whole time itching, and at home that night before bed covered myself from head to toe with Aveeno Oatmeal anti-itch lotion. Ahhh...that felt better.
I slept well but this morning woke up all itchy again with the rash everywhere, it spread to my hands which were also swelling. Nice.
I called my Dad (the Doc) and he told me to call my Doctor to see if they could squeeze me in today.
I dropped the boys off at Chad & Mel's to play while I headed in. Of course as soon as I sat down in the waiting room my itching had seriously subsided and I couldn't find any of the red bumps that had been there earlier. Nice.
I felt like I was in an episode of Seinfeld, contemplating whether I should run for it our go ahead with the appointment and look like a nut who frequents the Doctors office. I went for the latter, surely the Dr. would know that I'm completely not insane.
I finally get in and there is nothing to look at. He asks if recently I changed detergents or anything like that, and I haven't. He finally concluded it could have been the pre-natal pill I had been trying out this past week, but I really didn't think that was it since I didn't take one yesterday. I had no idea what else it could be though. So I left, feeling like a fool...although he did tell me to take some Claritin which I have yet to do.
Tonight though, it came back. All over. So I'm not crazy, just itchy.
I never go to the Doctor, I usually ride things out unless I am deathy ill or dealing with something untolerable, but being pregnant I felt like I should go in especially after this mornings rash on my face and hands.
Anyway, there you have it...if you have read this far I applaud you...the life I lead, it's exciting isn't it? Hopefully in the meantime I'll get this whole rash thing figured out.

The Clues of God...

"Doesn't the unfulfillable longing evoked by beauty qualify as an innate desire? We have a longing for joy, love, and beauty that no amount or quality of food, sex, friendship, or sucess can satisfy. We want something that nothing in this world can fufill. Isn't that at least a clue that this "something" that we want exists? This unfulfillable longing then, qualifies as a deep, innate human desire, and that makes it a major clue that God IS there."

-Timothy Keller, The Reason For God.

the details.

The last ride....can't you see how badly the boys don't want to get rid of this car...er, I mean they just wanted to get out and play...definately not interested in documenting this momentous moment.
As long as I can remember, or at least as long as I cared about cars, I wanted an SUV. This was my first SUV and it was in my possession for a year. A glorious year. I love that you sit up high, and the fact that it is not a van. So, my big thing with vans is I grew up with them. If you grow up with a van it makes it hard to truly appreciate and love a van.

So we got the van because we had to and....

I have to admit, she ain't that bad. She's growing on me. I like to call her the green machine.

The green machine has lots of perks.

1. SO much space.
2. SO easy to get the kids in and out of.
3. About a ka-billion cup holders.
4. orange lights. The inside lights I mean. I know it is so lame but I have never had anything other than the standard green. Hey, it's the little things in life...which brings me to number 5.
5. I love the way the turn signal sounds.

6. automatic doors. SO fabulous to have! I can click them open while I am walking to the car!

7. The boys can still hold hands like they did in the Infiniti.

8. It has humbled me.

Well, this is still a work in progress but it's true. I cared how I looked driving a mini-van! Talk about sinful and worldly...but it's true. I felt "uncool" the first time behind the wheel, but slowly, I am learning to get over it. I mean who am I kidding I am a nerd when it comes down to it. Although, I have to say when the kid at the Starbucks drive-thru said "nice wheels" to me and proceeded to go on about what he liked about my new ride I felt better. Man, I'm lame. Anyway...

And....Last but not least

As for the baby:
I am approximately due: December 10, 2008. So at this point I am just about 10 weeks. I have been feeling alright for the most part. Saturday night I got pretty sick but it could have been something I ate. Otherwise I have been feeling pretty well...I know plenty of women who have had it much, much worse. We are very excited and...a bit nervous. I mean three kids people! I only have 2 arms...alright so it's not like I carry Maxwell around, ever, but it just seems so crazy to me. We are hoping for a girl, but OF COURSE we will be thrilled to have another boy if this babe is. We are just happy. It wasn't a surpirse, we wanted to have our kids close together, but it may very well be our last. We will see.

#3

Last week.

Last week was a doozy.

As Sunday came to a close and Monday arrived it all went downhill...and fast.

Monday we bought a (GASP!) van. Typing that word makes me crazy, I can't believe I actually own one. Our SUV got ok gas mileage, but we decided we needed a bigger car. Last Christmas after we came home, we were literally packed in so tight, the kids were surronded by stuff and it was a loooooong trip home. We didn't want to get a monster SUV because we'd probably have to sell our house to put gas in it, so the van it became.
More to come on that lame...er, I mean awesome purchase.

Tuesday Max and Justin were playing soccer...in the house. Not a practice I normally allow but they were having a blast. Soon enough the ball goes flying and knocks one of my tall stemmed votive holders off the entertainment center. Shatters everywhere.

For some reason, Wednesday I let Evan run around with this vase (not glass but a small metal one...or so I thought) and then of course he tripped and let it fly and we found out it was ceramic painted stainless steel.

Thursday both kids decided to rise with sun, were crabs all day and my dishwasher broke. On the plus side, washing dishes is something I actually enjoy...for a little while.

Justin usually has Fridays off, but of course in the history of worst weeks ever he didn't have this one off. So much for my grand plans to make a trip up to our new IKEA. I spent a good portion of the day cleaning the kitchen floors after Evan spilled cereal everywhere after successfully knocking out a good portion of food out of the pantry. I go to use the bathroom for under a minute and somehow this kid manages to renovate our kitchen!

At the grocery store last week I saw a new mom with her newborn and reflected on how much easier it was with just one. I was also thankful though, to have two boys close in age who (for the most part) love each other and get along great.

Sometimes we get in these seasons where nothing seems to go our way, where it seems everything and everyone is against you. Again though, God uses these times to draw me closer to him. I am so thankful to know, love and have an intimate relationship with a Savior who longs for me to know him, to glorify him, to enjoy him more than anything.

evan.

Growing up much to fast.
21 months.

because I am dying to tell you about it....

I am currently wrapping up reading "The Reason For God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism" by, Timothy Keller. First of all, it is amazing. It has been helping me to think and grow as a child of God. Secondly, it is a book I highly recommend for non-christians. It is so well laid out and easy to read, although this is a book I will have to read through again because there is so much to absorb!
Anyway, I will hold off writing a full on review until I finish, but I had to share these quotes:

"The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to died for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.”

" If you have a God great and transcendent enough to be mad at because he hasn't stopped evil and suffering in the world, then you have (at the same moment) a God great and transcendent enough to have good reasons for allowing it to continue that you can't know. Indeed, you can't have it both ways."

" ...an authoritative Bible is not the enemy of a personal relationship with God. It is the precondition for it."

If you get a chance I highly recommend going to the book site http://www.thereasonforgod.com/ to hear a few podcasts by Tim, and learn more about the book. So good!