Summer Shmummer...

 As much as I was looking forward to summer, I was a bit nervous about having enough energy to do everything I knew that I (and the kids) would want to do (remember I'm a wimpy, tired pregnant lady). So my parents hired a nanny to help me! Here she is...

 

And by 'hired' I of course mean free, because she's nice like that and because she loves my kids. Meet my 18 year old sister, Mara. She came for 6 weeks this summer and was a life-saver in every way. We took the boys to Whipple Dam every week, swimming at a local community pool for Nick's swimming lessons each week, as well as other various summer activities that I would have been to tired and overwhelmed to try on my own. One day my kids will understand how much they owe her. I already do! :) She also watched the boys while I went to girls camp for a week and while Brad and I went to youth conference in Palmyra for 3 days. Plus it was so great to have another adult to hang out with all day. I love my sister!

I haven't posted pictures of the boys in awhile, so here are a few...

Nick has always loved working out with me and I always like having a partner. Here he is in his "exercise clothes", showing off his big muscles. And here is Chase showing off a major goose egg he got when he ran into the wall.

 

Chase has grown out of his nap (meaning that if I let him take one he's up until 11:00pm or later), but every now and then I find him all tuckered out in the middle of play time.

One thing we love about living in this part of the country is the lightning bugs. I had never seen one until I went to OH for the first time, and this was Mara's first time seeing them, too. We let the boys stay up late enough a couple of times to catch some and keep them in a jar for the night...

 

Every summer our town hosts a "Touch a Truck" day in the parking lot of the local high school. This was our 3rd time going and it seems that the boys like it more and more the older they get. Every kind of truck is there and open for the kids to crawl around in, honk the horns, and pretend to drive. It's little boy heaven!

 

A while ago I walked downstairs to see Chase like this --

 

this little random guy cracks me up and keeps my on my toes -- love this face!

Pregnancy update: With 8.5 weeks left of this pregnancy I'm getting more and more excited to meet this little girl (if it really is a girl...I still don't quite believe it). Induction date is set for 11/11. Wahoo!

You'll never guess where I went last week...

Are you one of those people that loved high school? You know, those people? :)

I am not. I loved junior high, but high school just didn't do it for me. I had great friends, I was involved, but I do believe that there was no one happier than I was on graduation day. I even remember, on said graduation day, thinking that I would never go to a reunion, trusting myself to keep in contact with those I wanted to keep in contact with. This resolve went even deeper in February, when I found out I was pregnant. Who goes to their reunion 6 months pregnant? 

Well folks, never say never.

Everything changed when I found out that this lovely lady (aka, my best friend and sister-in-law) was put in charge of the reunion...

And my resolve was further broken when I found out some of my best friends from high school were going to be there (whom I don't get to see very often because most of us live out of state)...

Soooo, to the reunion I went, in all my pregnant, puffy-bodied glory. And it was lovely. The venue was awesome, the food was great, and Katie and Syd (her co-chair) and their committee did a great job.

(this is Tim's hairy arm, not mine -- just in case you were worried)

Photos, of course, by Kate.

It's a girl. A GIRL! G.I.R.L. A pink-and-princess-loving, cause-me-lots-of-drama-as-a-teenager, call-me-everyday-when-you-move-away-from-home, be-my-best-friend-once-you-decide-you-don't-hate-me, shopping-loving, Jane-Austen-adoring, paint-my-nails-and-do-my-hair GIRL (my expectations aren't too high, are they?) :)!

Yes, we are all excited. Now let the name battles commence! :)

It's 1:38am. I had been asleep for two hours when my eyes popped open. I am totally awake and my mind is going 100 miles an hour, while my legs feel like they could go run a marathon. This happens a lot when I'm pregnant. And by a lot I mean every night since I was 6 weeks along. Sometimes I go back to sleep within a matter of minutes, and sometimes -- like tonight -- I don't. I will admit that I don't like being pregnant. Besides feeling the baby move, I don't miss it when I'm not. Sleep is just one of my issues. I don't feel well, I don't like the way I look, and my emotions are completely out of wack. But as I laid there, almost enveloped in self-pity, a new list came to my mind.

Since I had Chase, the following things have happened:

-I've had 2 cousins whose babies have died.
-I've had multiple friends and cousins "come out" with the fact that they have been struggling with infertility, mostly silently, for years.
- I've had other friends suffer multiple miscarriages in a row
- My friends 5 month old niece died of SIDS

Luckily, some of these cases have resolved themselves, through the miracles of invitro, adoption, ect. But some have not.

Ahhhhhh, perspective. I can live through my minor complaints. Because I'm pregnant. I already have two healthy kids. And that, in and of itself, is a miracle.

Meanwhile...

Despite being absent from the blogging world for quite some time now, life really has gone on here, even with the pregnancy and the sickness it brought with it. It's been a busy busy spring and we have loved every second.

Brad's parents came for a visit when I was about 5 weeks along and not yet sick, which meant we actually went out and did some stuff!

We hiked Mount Nittany...

Grandpa taught the kids about different animal tracks...

We went to Penn's Cave...

And had fun in the gift shop...

Grandma told stories to a very captive audience (have I mentioned what a great story teller she is?)...

Brad had spring break and we took a day trip to Harrisburg, where we checked out a very cool children's science museum...

Our first 3D IMAX show about fish...

Man I really like these kids...

I love it when they play pretend. I thought this was a pretty ingenius way of setting up a golf course, and Nick did it all on his own. A stick horse for the club and a train tunnel for the hole.

Love these eyes...

The next weekend my Dad came to town. I wasn't feeling great by then, so we hung out around the house and he took great care of my kids while Brad was at work. He took them to the library, the park, out to lunch, and wrestled with them on demand. On the day that I felt a little better, we went bowling.

Here's the wind up...

And here's the victory dance...

Chase really liked the fan thing...

Then we went to the Penn State creamery for some very yummy ice cream. These are the kid cones, mind you...

The weekend after my dad left, one of my best friends Amy came to town for Easter and conference weekend. I have no pictures of this because I was really sick at this point, and I pretty much laid on my couch and watched her take care of my kids. She then helped me fly to Utah with the boys, where I did pretty much nothing while my mom, Katie, and Mara took care of me and my offspring for two whole weeks. Thank heavens for family!

Every mom knows that silence in the house means trouble -- this is what I found Chase doing when I suspected he was being a little too quiet. Desitin is hard to clean off!

I went to Time Out For Women in Pittsburg with my wonderful in-laws. We missed Mal a lot but enjoyed our 2 new friends. Whenever I'm in a picture with my in-laws I want to sing "One of these things is not like the other." Love these ladies...

The weekend after that we went to OH for Miranda's graduation from college. I have no pictures of that because it was raining and the whole thing lasted about 30 seconds. But Debbie had this fun balloon craft for the kids to do at home...

Later Preston and Nick took the accessories off the balloons and put them on themselves...

And lastly, Nick's preschool class had their music program yesterday. Nick was very excited and had sung most of the songs and done the dances for me at home. Here is his cute class...

But when he saw all the parents there to watch, his shy nature took over and he sat exactly like this the whole time, didn't sing a note or move a muscle. After it was over he ran to us in tears and said "I don't like doing that, Mommy!" I don't think we'll be signing him up for drama club any time soon. Here he is with his good friends Olivia and Holden.

It has been a great spring! I'm finally starting to feel a bit better and we're all excited for the adventures that summer has to bring!

Good-bye for now...

Gordon D. Smith 1936 ~ 2010 Gordon Drakeford Smith, 73, died of kidney and pancreatic failure following a long struggle with cirrhosis of the liver. Beloved husband, father to (five), and grandfather to (20), and great-grandfather to (17). Gordon was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 23, 1936 to Edward Earl and Arline Eunice Holder Smith. He attended Granite and Olympus high schools, and was of the first graduating class from Olympus. It was at Olympus that he met the love of his life, Gay Lambert, and married her on January 28, 1955. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple. Married for 55 years, starting to enjoy retirement, Gay succumbed to a massive stroke in February of this year. The last few months have been ones of yearning to be together again with his beloved wife. Gordon was a salesman at heart, and after attaining the certificate of Journeyman Machinist, he went on to be one of the 'Greatest Salesmen' in the world. Gordon retired from Scholzen Products in 2008. Gordon was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and held many positions, where he loved teaching the Gospel. Gordon enjoyed the beauties of this Earth, especially Mt. Olympus, sunsets, and sunrises. He enjoyed reading, travel, and the Utah Jazz, and college ballgames. He enjoyed gardening and always maintained his yard with care. He loved music, and especially great harmonizing voices. He possessed a beautiful voice as well. Gordon is survived by his children: Kerry G. (Lanette) Smith, Shanette S. (Clark) Dudley, Lana (Kenney) Prior, Daniel L. (Denice) Smith, and Amber (Mark) Stoknes, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Also survived by one brother, Sterling Smith, Redding. CA, and one sister, Eunice Jones of Grand Junction, CO. Funeral services will begin at 12 noon on Saturday, May 15, 2010, at the Dover Hill Chapel at 3625 Dover Hill Drive. (7570 South). Friends and family may call at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, 3401 S. Highland Drive from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday night, May 14th and from 10:30 a.m. till 11:30 a.m. on Saturday before the services at the chapel. Interment at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park. - He will be missed -