Not much has happened around here. I've been busy trying to entertain the kids either at home or away so Brandon can try to sleep. I am really ready to have this week over so he can be on a regular schedule and I'll have my husband back. I miss him! I'm glad we just got these 6 weeks over with, but we've barely talked to each other and I'm getting really used to sleeping in the bed alone. Both of which I think are bad things when you are married. Thankfully he has this weekend off, but there is a patient that is due any day and he just has a feeling she will go into labor and he'll end up working. I pray (selfishly) that God spares him a couple days with his family and friends that are coming to visit. I've also been busy getting the name tags together for our first MOPS meeting next week. Have I mentioned how much I love MOPS? If you have a group in your area I highly suggest joining. It has been so much fun! I'm looking forward to the new year and being a part of making it happen. I need to run and take care of a few more things, but I thought I'd end on an adorable story about Christopher and Brandon. The kids and I were outside playing in the backyard the other morning when Brandon got home from work. They wanted to swing, so we set them up and began pushing. Brandon would catch Christopher as he was swinging forward and hold him and then say, "Are you ready for anything?" and suddenly drop him to swing backwards with no warning. Christopher loved it and, of course, after I'd run inside to grab something I miss the best part. Christopher tells Brandon after a couple times of playing this game, "Daddy, I want you to hold me and tell me I'm ready for anything." Doesn't that just melt your heart???? It does mine every time I think about it, which is often. They have no idea what they are saying sometimes and gets the words a little mixed up every now and then, but it hits you in a way only a parent can understand and really makes you think. I should start asking my heavenly Daddy that more often. It would make my job down here a lot easier if I did!

Summer, that is. I'm 100%, totally, completely, with all my being, over summer. The mosquitos were bad, now the gnats have taken over. So much so that it will send you running into the house flapping your arms around like a crazy bird screaming "Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!" the whole way. (Tiffany and I did that yesterday.) I'm tired of feeling like I need 2 showers a day, and I usually only take them at night, but lately I've felt like I needed an extra one just to get to the evening without smelling! The kids are disgusting and covered in sweaty dirt. Poor Brick isn't getting much exercise b/c neither one of us want to brave the heat for a stroll. I agreed to walk with the kids over to the forklift and wood chopper that were working down the street, but I knew it would be hot. It was 11:00 in the morning after all. Sophie wants to ride on her little 4 wheeled Radio Flyer too, making you go e x t r a slow! It's cute to watch, but sweaty too. We finally make it and I convince her (kicking and screaming) to get into the jogger and enjoy the ride. She and Christopher suck down their drinks faster than ever and off we go to finish our outing. The workers were taking a break (thankfully!) and so we decided to just go around the corner and head home. Wasn't so "around the corner" like I thought. I told you it'd be a while since we gone on a real walk. I was sweating between my fingers. Have you ever done that? It's gross. You know you are sweating all over, but it's just not pouring down your body yet, just kind of sticking everywhere. We finally get home, and I'm drenched. And starving!!!! We eat lunch and now they are back playing outside again. I'm just hoping I can get them in the shower before naps without waking up Brandon too much. Hope you are having a cooler day than we are. I'm going to rinse off.

Last night at around 2:15 am, Brandon's sister delivered her third little girl. Well, if you call 8.2 lbs and 20 1/2 inches little. Face up. Naturally. I would call that 12 pounds personally, but she is my hero for following through with her plan to deliver naturally. I know other women deliver naturally, but if you have ever had a baby come into the world looking up (I have) then you get 10 gold stars from me if you do it without any meds at all. Her doctor told her she had never delivered a baby that size naturally before. The last I heard the name is Campbell, but they can't ever decide on the final name until after the baby is born. I'll keep you posted. Congratulations Ame, Drexel, Cameron and Camille!!! We can't wait to meet you baby girl #3!!


(Big sister Cameron holding little Campbell.)

Ok, my last post today, I promise! Everyone is napping and I wanted to catch up on everything b/c it's about to get busy around here when they wake up. I'm trying to get used to the kids' new MDO schedule and it's hard! Anyway, these are the last photos we have from Brandon's Canon SLR camera we purchased 3 years. They are of Christopher and Brick digging out in his "digging pile" in the backyard. You'll have to excuse the outfit he is wearing, I think he slept in it the night before and I'm sorry if you have a problem with it.

Late Sunday afternoon we decided to walk down to the water and take Brick swimming. He loves to play fetch in the bay and the kids love to watch him. They played in the sand and splashed around in the water some. It was a fun day spent with Daddy before work started on Monday.

I mean this. Be careful. Here's why. An hour after we got home on Saturday, Brandon, who had been sailing with a Ret. Col. and some residents, called me to tell me that he needed me to come pick him up b/c he'd been knocked overboard and wanted to get his head checked out. It was purely an accident and so we don't blame anyone. He was facing the back of the boat taking photos and the sail was on the other side when some wind suddenly came up and whipped the sail in Brandon's direction. It knocked him in the head throwing him overboard (he lost his camera too). The Ret. Col. immediately dove in after him throwing him a flotation device. Brandon doesn't remember getting hit or falling, just being in the water. The side of his head had a big red mark on it the rest of the day, but we went to the ER, had a CAT scan and everything came back clear. Thankfully he moved alot in his sleep that night b/c I was so worried something would happen. He's just had a really, really bad headache since then. He didn't realize there was a bruise on his inner thigh until the next morning. Every day it's looked worse, but bruises are one of those things that has to get worse before getting better. He was supposed to start working OB nights this week, but they sent him home yesterday afternoon and told him to get some rest and come back on Tuesday. He's doing much, much better now and I thank God that everything's alright!! So, I say all of that to tell you to be careful. Not so cautious you never have fun, but just be careful.

Here are the rest of the photos from our week out of town. They are in the wrong order so I suggest starting at the bottom and scrolling up. We stopped to see Mimi and Papa John on our way to the lake and the kids had a great time playing with them. Unfortunately we had to bolt as soon as we finished supper b/c of a storm that was on it's way and we wanted to beat it. We did.

Christopher had been helping Grammie with hemming my skirt until he realized that Pop was watching something on tv about tanks. He quickly jumped up on the couch and dove right into the show. It was so funny!

Christopher playing with his new firetruck. He loves this thing so much and I have to admit, it's pretty cool!

Christopher getting to help with the clamping of the boards to make the ladder. He had so much fun! It was the first time he's followed through with a project so I was really proud of him.

Grammie helping Christopher glue the wheels on. Or maybe it's the other way around.

Sophie didn't really care for the sound of the saw, but it didn't bother her enough to cover up both ears. She was so cute!

The kids playing on the work bench that Pop made for the grandkids to use. Christopher's favorite part of the shop are all the clamps to spin around and pinch. It's a good thing he stays so focused b/c I usually know what he's up to in there.

Christopher doesn't like the sound of the saw, so I grabbed the headphones for him. Every time Pop went to cut something he'd grab these and tell me to put them on.

This is the best photo we've gotten of the four kids together. Melissa and I decided this is the best way to get their picture together so you'll probably only see them eating together from now on out.

Christopher and Nicholas going for a swim together. They had so much fun! I didn't think we'd ever get them out of there. Thankfully it sprinkled about 4 drops and we told them it was going to rain, they practically ran out of the water.

This is what your feet will look like after 4 days of riding on a plasma car... outside... barefoot. Oh, and a couple bug bites too.

The kids playing in the rain that gathered in Mimi and Papa John's backyard. They were wet on their bottoms and heads. We bathed them before supper and put on their pj's.

Christopher would run up and down the edge of the grass in the "stream" of water. Driving the tractor toy or filling up a cup to water the flowers.

Sophie and Mimi playing dress up with all her jewelry. Sophie had a ball going through all of it! She would pass them out to everyone after trying them on herself.

Meet Little Miss Sophie. All fixed up and glammed up. She was so cute!!!! Every time she just sees the camera she immediately says, "Cheese!!!" It's adorable!!! My little girl is becoming more girly.