Simple. Gifts.

Psalm 23

2012-01-30T21:45:00.001-06:00

A couple months back the bible study I was/am attending studied the 23rd Psalm. The last question was: This is a familiar psalm if you have grown up in the church. Rewrite it for a child.

Well, I have four sweet children...so Ella, Lucia, Maxwell and Zane this is for you. Of course, I learned something from this too. And of course, I cried my eyes out while I was writing it.

The Lord takes care of you like a baby lamb.
He will give you a soft and comfy bed and warm covers on a cold night.
He will help you do what is right, He is your Daddy.
Even though you may get scared, so scared you can't sleep and have nightmares; God is standing by your bed with a flashlight.
He will give you the best thanksgiving meal, and say to you 'your future is bright'.
And for the rest of your life you will be with Him sitting on His lap.

Bethany's Yuengling Shamrock Marathon 2012

2012-01-29T20:36:00.001-06:00

Bethany's Yuengling Shamrock Marathon 2012

Mark and I are running the Half Marathon and are partnering with Bethany to raise money for their cause. They are an adoption agency. Giving those children and families a new life!

Can there ever be too many...

2012-01-28T21:43:00.001-06:00

Barrettes???

I would have to argue, yes.

Luci was perfecting Ella's hair while I took a shower tonight. While I totally support quality sister bonding time. I don't know about the results.

But, it did bring a smile to my face. I love them!

The park with friends

2012-01-26T12:55:00.001-06:00

Enjoyed the fabulous weather today with some friends. Got some cute pictures with Zane and his friend Hannah; and one with Millie and Lucia. The boys...we weren't so lucky. Mostly because Max kept running around with sticks...

Random iPhone Pictures

2012-01-25T20:24:00.002-06:00

(1) Zane in his exersaucer
(2) Zane 6 months old!
(3) Ella and Mommy (and her 'collection of leaves')
(4) Our walk home from school
(5) Luci and Mommy
(6) Mark and his 'mullet'
(7) Mark and his birthday cheesecake
(8) Max and Zane snuggling in bed

Cereal 101

2012-01-18T20:22:00.001-06:00

Zane had his first taste of multigrain cereal tonight. He smiled the whole time...this does not mean he appreciated swallowing it:/ He did finally eat some. Here's to another try tomorrow.

Comparisons

2012-01-08T19:24:00.002-06:00

So I feel as though Luci and Zane look alike and have been told this a *couple times over the past 5 months. *and by couple I mean about 50

Luci

Zane

Zane

Luci

Are you sure this is January?

2012-01-07T15:16:00.001-06:00

This is today...on the boardwalk at Virginia Beach...60 degrees. We were running with the double stroller, the girls rode their bikes. This is certainly a plus to living near the ocean! Those sand angels maybe as close as we get to 'snow' angels.

Her first book:)

2012-01-05T12:54:00.001-06:00

Luci just read her first BOB book! So proud of her:). Here's to many more, Lulu!

Ok, I was wrong

2012-01-04T19:23:00.002-06:00

One last Christmas post. At church...I got to play the part of Mary:). I had dreamed of this ever since I was a little girl. Luckily we were blessed with a baby boy a couple months before Christmas-which made us a logical pick for Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. The girls were angels. On a side note: we just became members at crossroads church and dedicated Luci, Max and Zane the same Sunday. Ella was already dedicated in Kentucky. We feel very blessed by our new church family!

Also, I was a helper for Ella's Christmas party. I was the decorating cookies station. A sentence that probably won't be surprising to anyone: kids love icing and sprinkles...aka sugar:)

Haircut date

2012-01-04T19:14:00.001-06:00

Ella, Luci and I had a great time getting their hair cut and styled. They looked so grown up. Mark's first response was- isn't Luci to young to have layered hair;). Oh, Daddy doesn't want his girls to grow up too quickly:). Max is up for a haircut tomorrow !

last Christmas post...

2012-01-04T10:43:00.003-06:00

i think:)

Since we celebrated Christmas as a family after the 25th it made the season seem longer. Although all of our decorations are down and our house looks like it has a bit more room. It is now just winter and we are not enjoying the 20 degree weather. Growing up in Ohio, I know I should not complain about 20 degree weather-but I have become a cold weather wimp. I just said to Mark yesterday, I am so looking forward to the beach this summer. He laughed at me:)

The last festive activity was making gingerbread houses with graham crackers.

Luci and her LONG hair...it is getting trimmed tonight

Max...he got a LOT of help

Not surprised that Ella's was the most intricate

Ella's, I helped with the 'tree' in the front yard

Max's favorite part was eating the houses:)

Family Time

2012-01-02T12:59:00.003-06:00

When we arrived back from Ohio we waited a couple days to celebrate our 'family' Christmas. I love seeing the excitement in the kids faces. Mark read the Christmas story and we sang happy birthday to Jesus with some homemade cinnamon rolls. Sweet times and memories. School starts back tomorrow which will be a nice change:) Happy New Year everyone!

Reading about having space for the 'little one' on our heart

Max and his sword

Twins

Waiting for daddy to get home so we can open presents

Giving Zane lots of hugs

Bumbo love

Can't get enough of them!

whirl wind

2011-12-30T13:20:00.004-06:00

In and out of Ohio in 5 days. That doesn't sound too bad...unless you add in 26 hours of traveling there and back (on the way home we hit a bunch of traffic), Ella throwing up 4 times on the way there (not like I was counting) and I was sick and running a fever as well. And we split the time in half at each of the family's houses. All in all it was a great time through. I didn't take many pictures myself (probably because I was recovering and the chaos that is traveling with four kids). This is the first LONG trip with all four. Zane did amazing for his first trip to Ohio! On the way there we traveled through the night and he only woke up once...I wish I could say the same for our other kiddos:) We had a great time celebrating Christmas with all the family members! Have a very Happy New Year.

So I am borrowing some pictures from my dad and the black and white pictures were from Mark (he didn't know how to change the mode the camera was in;)

Enjoying the zip line with the cousins

Luci, Grace and Lydia

Lucia

Max

Lucia and her biddy baby with purple glasses

Jill meeting Zane

Kids table

Scooter time with Abbey

Quack and Peep

2011-12-17T08:21:00.001-06:00

If you have a kid that watches PBS...you know about quack and peep. My kids are mesmerized, if I was truthful I would have to say I am as well:)

Ella took to drawing them this morning. I thought uncle Adam would be proud:)

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-16T20:25:00.001-06:00

**News from 2011: Mark got promoted (he was deployed for four months to the south pacific), He ran the Marine Corps Marathon, We had kid #4 on 7.31.11, Experienced our first hurricane, Ella started kindergarten, Lucia loves swim lessons, Maxwell now sleeps in a big boy bed and Zane is sleeping through the night:) It is so nice that we can walk to both school and our church! We wish you much joy and peace this holiday and always!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

The After Christmas program party

2011-12-15T10:16:00.001-06:00

I have lots of video that I will post later. Mark is still in Italy, so I took as many pictures and video as possible. So some may seem a little long-just trying to capture the moment :)

I love girly dresses...and just recently have been able to fall in love with the little boy tie. Max was so handsome !! And Lucia was beautiful in her ladybug Christmas dress!

I LOVE when they reenact the Christmas story, Luci was an angel in the multitude of heavenly hosts:) I didn't get a good picture of her in her angel outfit:(. The video will have to be enough!

Here are pics from ....after....

Photo shoot #2

2011-12-14T20:58:00.001-06:00

Now it's Ella's turn. BTW the 'claw' marks behind her are from Moses.

After school photo shoot

2011-12-14T12:55:00.001-06:00

I was in charge of Max's Christmas party on Wednesday. We had a great time. It is rare for Max to want to pose for pictures. I asked him to sit down and smile...and he DID! So logically I went picture taking crazy. Unfortunately I only had my iPhone, although this meant I could have fun with my apps:)

simple treasures

2011-12-14T11:40:00.005-06:00

There isn't a day that goes by that something isn't created at our house. From glitter to sequins from playdough to stamps. It is hard to 'keep' all their creative creations (for many reasons, the most being space). And now that three of them attend school in some sort of fashion we have papers galore! So in this digital age I took pictures, some we will keep, others will meet the trash can-sorry :(

Totally awesome ornament that Luci made...she insists they are NOT snowmen:)

Ella's wreath from Sunday School

Ella's art from art class (they were working with shapes...can you tell? :)

Luci...sequins.

Max:)

Sequins...Luci and Popsicles

adore

2011-12-12T20:42:00.002-06:00

I cannot explain how much Max adores Zane. I was so afraid that Max would be so jealous of his brother...especially since Mark even says Max can be a 'momma's boy'. But, ever since Zane made his entrance to this world, Max has NOTHING but love for him. Even if Zane isn't 'feeling' the love too! I can't wait for these two to wrestle around on the floor together...ok, maybe I can;)

smiles

2011-12-07T20:18:00.001-06:00

I really can't get enough of my sweet kids' smiles!

christmastime

2011-12-05T21:10:00.005-06:00

Our tree isn't finished yet...it is getting closer. This is the first year with three kids putting ornaments on the tree at the same time....we only lost 2. As Luci says, they are glassable (ie breakable). It was fun to see the light in their eyes as they stared at the tree! It is such a special time of year. At some point I need to string some popcorn...hopefully this will happen before we leave for Ohio. Mark is in Italy this week, for work. I must say I can get kind of jealous about his traveling, but thankful to stay here with the kiddos. They are so sweet.

We didn't string any popcorn that night...the kids just ate it:)

Max would not stop drinking his milk for this pic

Thank goodness for timers

We even did our first decorating of cookies with friends today. Thanks Stacey and family for inviting us over to join in the fun!

Photo booths

2011-12-04T14:27:00.001-06:00

I love photo booths...if Mark and I got married today we would have one at our reception (they weren't really popular for receptions when we got married;) Lucky for me my phone has an app for that! This is Zane and I checking it out....Zane doesn't really understand the concept, his expression doesn't really change:)

The lights of christmas

2011-12-03T14:20:00.001-06:00

This year we did something different. Instead of driving through the Christmas lights-we walked through them. I grew up walking through the lights at the toledo zoo...but down here in the 'south' people get a bit cold quicker;). The botanical gardens of Norfolk do a wonderful job decorating!

Funny story to note: Luci wanted to bring her sunglasses. I tried to explain to her that it was night and she wouldn't be able to see the lights very well. She agreed and proceeded to pop out the lenses of her sunglasses and responded: yep, that's better. I smiled and said sure, wear those glasses. A family was parked beside us in the lot and were getting ready to see the lights at the same time we were getting ready. Later we see them in the park and we hear them say, hey that's the girl with the glasses. Yes, yes...it is the girl with the glasses;). As you can see from one of the pictures, Ella wore them, too!

Fun with apps!

2011-12-01T17:05:00.001-06:00

A whole lot of Thanks!!

2011-12-01T16:42:00.001-06:00

We had a great time with my parents and Aunt Marie on thanksgiving. Marie made the whole meal and it was delicious!! The kids loved watching the parade! I think it would be so cool to go there (NYC), and see it live! Maybe in ten years;). Note to pictures below: trying to get a family picture with four kids is nearly impossible! (as demonstrated clearly be one of the pictures)

giving thanks.

2011-11-24T18:46:00.000-06:00

My Little Turkey!!

2011-11-21T13:36:00.001-06:00

We hope you all have a great thanksgiving this week;). There is so much to be thankful for, God has blessed us in so many ways!

As a side note: Max has kinda turned into a 'turkey' the past couple weeks. The twos have finally hit and he is expressing his opinion in more ways than one! Let's just say it is never a dull moment at out house!
Not that you thought it ever was;)

Ella's first report card

2011-11-17T13:28:00.002-06:00

A kindergarten report card (progress report) -the layout looks much different than when I attended school. All this technology. Can you believe I didn't have an email until I was a senior? Anyway, she is doing fabulous! We are so proud of you, Ella!

A quiet afternoon

2011-11-16T12:48:00.001-06:00

After school today Luci and I worked on her homework. Then we enjoyed some time together- a hot chocolate for her and a cafe mocha for me....never mind that is it basically 80 degrees out:). Next up, nail painting. Good thing Max and Zane are sleeping!

the simpliest toy...A BOX

2011-11-13T14:03:00.000-06:00

Can't describe how much fighting happen over this box. Lucky for Max he could fit in it the best;)

Oh and I gave him his fourth haircut too...single tear! Compare the hair from the box pictures to the guitar pics!

FRIENDS!!!! Veterans' Day Weekend 2011

2011-11-13T14:01:00.005-06:00

We were able to spend the past weekend with some dear friends to us. We have known the Buchholz's ever since we lived in Dayton. Mark and Ryan both attended WSU medical school (Ryan was a year ahead of Mark). We knew each other before kids...even a year before Mark and I got married! Since then we have both moved to many different places and added six kids to this earth. They continue to bless us with their friendship:) We spent some time at Colonial Williamsburg on a BEAUTIFUL fall day!!! Most of these pictures are taken by Christine...I forgot my camera!

Lucia and Catherine

Jonathan and Ella (btw that is rootbeer:)

Just Can't Get Enough

2011-11-13T13:40:00.002-06:00

Ok, I know I am partial. But, Zane has some of the cutest expressions-plus he was wearing a shirt that Ella, Lucia and Maxwell had all worn when they were his age. He is now close to growing out of it, time goes by so quickly!

Smile!

2011-11-11T16:34:00.001-06:00

When you need a reason to smile...let me supply you with a reason!

Ella's 6th birthday!

2011-11-08T22:04:00.002-06:00

This past weekend my firstborn turned 6! Cannot believe how time has moved by so quickly. I love the girl she is growing to be. She is very caring, compassionate and loves to laugh. Love you, Ella!!!

We went to see the Beauty and the Beast play (a girls night out). I even gave them both manicures. I love that I can be girly with them! Daddy got up early to get donuts for a special birthday treat and we ichatted with family to celebrate! Enjoy the pictures below!

On Friday I took cupcakes in to Ella's school to share with her friends! It is fun to see her interact with her classmates.

Birthday Donut!

Waiting for the show to begin

Their finger nails:)

With their new beauty and the beast swag

Sisters...in front of the PINK fountain:)

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-02T12:46:00.000-05:00

I cannot describe how cute these kids are, and how excited they were to dress up. Being a kid is so fun!

26.2-Marine Corps Marathon

2011-10-31T11:51:00.002-05:00

On Sunday October 30th at 8:00am, Mark and his friend Jon set out to run the MCM! Jon's wife, Rebekah, and I got to navigate around DC cheering them on with our littlest kids (Zane and her daughter Ella). We got to see them at the beginning of the race, at mile 10, 17, 20 and 25. It was a bit chilly, down right cold for Mark and Jon! They did great with a time of 4:36. They beat Drew Carrey (who I saw at mile marker 25)!!!

So proud of you, Mark!

It is hard to see but this is the start with Mark's hands up in the air.

The start line....30,000 runners!!

Mile 10:)

Mile 17

Mile 25....1.2 miles to go!

Rebekah and I

We stopped by the WW II monument and stopped by Zane's birthplace state

Way to go Mark and Jon!!!! We met up at the Arlington Cemetery Metro stop

So Proud!!!!

I love his different looks

2011-10-23T13:51:00.002-05:00

Zane has all these looks that melt my heart. I cannot believe he is almost three months!!

Braids. I love to play with my girls hair!

2011-10-22T14:34:00.001-05:00

When they let me that is, I had to bribe them to allow me to do their hair;) The bribe involved playing with my iPhone, while I played with their hair. I had a little inspiration from tutorials on pinterest.

Fall Field Trip

2011-10-17T13:22:00.002-05:00

We ventured out to Hunt Club Farms today with the Pre K class. Max and Zane got to tag along, too. We got to see goats, chickens, horses, go on a hay ride, sit on a tractor and get a pumpkin. All things our 'city' kids think are pretty cool! Enjoy the photos from my iphone...using the instagram app.

My divas!!

2011-10-12T19:29:00.003-05:00

Bedtime with gloves

Head band warmer...with leg warmers :)

Recent Facebook status' :)

Just an FYI Zane likes to fall asleep to Justin timberlake singing, My Love...Luci was talking to Mark and the short version was, we should move again, to Baltimore or sesame street...she then today asked if sesame street was in china, because we could move there too.

Luci is quiet in the other room, I ask her what she is doing...her response, 'I am not playing with my umbrella'... I didn't ask what you are not doing!One thing I forgot to mention, Maxwell peed in the potty today!! (Aug 31st)

Ok, that was an earthquake... (Aug 23rd)

school supply shopping at amazon.com....not leaving the house with 4 kids in toe...priceless.

Zane just loaded his diaper (with a really loud noise). Ella runs into the bedroom and asked was that Zane or you. Come on Ella, it was Zane!!!

I was talking to Ella and I told her 'I had a gut feeling about something'. She asked what that meant, after I gave her a definition she replied 'oh so it's kinda like a hypothesis' ...well said Ella

Happy Birthday to my sweet Lucia...4 years old! You were so excited you were finally old enough for a whole vitamin;)

Oolongytlyvgdksx....this is the text max just sent Mark from my phone!

Mark's Promotion

2011-10-04T10:45:00.006-05:00

Yesterday Mark was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. The girls missed school and we had family come in to help us celebrate. We are proud of Mark and all that he has accomplished. We are so thankful for him providing for our family (especially since I can stay home with our precious kiddos). God has been very good to us! I cannot take credit for any of the pictures below, they were all taken by guys at Mark's work.

Photobomb from Danielle Humphrey Photography!

2011-09-30T09:21:00.002-05:00

Once again I share with you the talent of Danielle:) Enjoy!

Max's birthday!!

2011-09-29T12:24:00.007-05:00

So, feeling like a slacker Mom...Max's birthday was 9 days ago and I am finally posting his pictures from HIS day. He got a toddler bed, and he LOVES it. He definitely feels like a grown up. He has done a great job staying in bed when he is supposed to, which is helpful to me:) He also went to preschool for the first time the day after his birthday, he even has his own backpack with his initials on it. He did great- NO CRYING, and I brought in a birthday treat and he was only slightly excited to see me. This means he LOVES school, which shouldn't be a surprise considering he saw Luci and Ella go there all last year. We love you Maxwell, you are growing into such a sweet, fun boy! Love you, Happy 2 years!!!

Leading him upstairs

Told you he loved it!

His sisters were about as excited!

Not as excited about his shots...at least Daddy got him a balloon

First day of school!

Loving him some birthday cookie!

Photo by Danielle Humphrey

Photo by Danielle Humphrey

Playing with Ella's Ariel wig!

Love you, Max!!!!

Stationery card

2011-09-24T09:47:00.004-05:00

This is Zane's Birth Announcement. Thanks again Danielle Humphrey for the photos!!!

Baby Boy Name Birth Announcement and Announcements for every life event: graduation, wedding & baby. View the entire collection of cards.

Sneak Peak

2011-09-13T19:52:00.002-05:00

Over labor day we had some awesome guests come to visit us in Norfolk-Auntie, Aaron, Lydia and Levi!!! It was so fun to spend time with them and they got to meet Zane! Luckily Danielle took some awesome shots of the kids and us. Here is a sneak peak. Thanks, Danielle!

First Day of School 2011

2011-09-12T10:22:00.003-05:00

Ella started Kindergarten, Luci started Pre-K and Max will start the 2's class in a couple of weeks. I was glad that neither Ella or I cried that momentous morning. Ella was so mature, and so ready for kindergarten. She loves to learn and has such a sweet heart. I am excited about school and all the things she will learn. I am not excited about all the hurts that will come from growing up!

Lucia was so excited to go to school EVERY DAY, she only went two days last year. She already is making such huge strides in her letters, numbers and words. In fact her reasoning is cracking me up, she makes great conclusions!

Here are the classic pics

Ella

Lucia

Max loves to jump in too (this is Ella's 2nd day)

Baby Zane:)

Time with Daddy

2011-09-06T13:22:00.002-05:00

Now that Mark has been home for about two months things are back to 'normal'. School started today which will be a nice routine to start. (more pictures to come later) But, last week, because of the hurricane Mark got Monday off. So, here is how it went with the kids:)

Love them!!!

Natural Disasters

2011-08-30T19:54:00.004-05:00

So, my brother Ryan says that crazy weather follows us wherever we go...we had tornadoes and ice in Kentucky, blizzards in Baltimore, and most recently Hurricane Irene in Virginia. Not to mention the earthquake and burning swamp that happen earlier in the week! The earthquake was a 5.9 and the epicenter was about 150 miles west of us (I felt the house sway and shake)...the swamp has been burning since the beginning of August (and makes it almost impossible to spend time outside, because the air is so thick with smoke).

But, back to Irene, the category 1 hurricane. I have never lived through a hurricane before...we had one last year right after we moved, but that ended up just being a tropical depression. Mark and I went back and forth on whether we should evacuate (we were told to because we live in a low laying area that floods frequently). The closest open hotel was 4 hours away, and about 80% of our neighbors were staying. With this information we decided to stay and weather the storm. We got our hurricane kit ready (water, food, flashlights, lanterns, batteries, games, tarps, propane, gasoline...as well as some other things). Woke up Saturday morning to the beginning of the storm. It was so strange to experience the storm. I grew up with tornadoes...but a hurricane is really very different. The biggest thing was no thunder and lighting. It was a LOT of wind and rain. Since Norfolk is connected to the outside world by tunnels, it was a little strange to hear that all of them were closed...no escaping. And the biggest concern was the high tide. But, God was good and the tide was not as high as they thought and the hurricane seemed to take the tide with it as it went along. We had no flooding. But, we did have a huge branch come down on the house-but with no major damage to our house. We had two water leaks in our sun room, but I washed the carpet in there today and all is well. The kids got to enjoy a day of playing games (trouble...remember that game??) and watching tv shows on the my computer. We camped out together in the hallway. It was definitely a bonding experience.

Most interesting sites were people having hurricane parties...which was sometimes described as drinking beer and running around outside in the storm. Our kids wondered what they were doing...Luci even said 'isn't that a bad idea?' I didn't know exactly how to tackle that one, so I said 'yeah, Luci, it is a bad idea for you'. On Sunday morning the sun was shinning and our whole neighborhood was out assessing damage and helping each other clean up. It was amazing how everyone pitched in and helped everyone. Our neighbor even brought over a cup of hot coffee for Mark:)

Zane slept through most of the storm...we ended up losing power for about 36 hours. We weren't complaining because we expected it to be a lot longer.

See pics below:

Ella cleaning up the yard on Sunday morning

A view of the tree-when the city cut down the tree, they ended up breaking the fence...better them than us:)

Another view of the tree

Our generator...:)

Dance Camp

2011-08-18T13:27:00.004-05:00

Perfect timing, the week Zane was born, Ella and Luci were signed up for a dance camp called 'Message in Motion'. It is a christian based dance camp held at the catholic school down the street from our house. They had a blast and even preformed two dances at the end of the week.

Thanks Papa for the picture

Daddy and his dancers

Birth Photos

2011-08-16T19:43:00.008-05:00

Already posted the story....here are the pictures!

I was trying to find the last picture that I had of me pregnant...Well my awesome sister in law, Danielle snapped this one at around '36' weeks. I copied it from her blog (linked here)

After his bath

First shot with Mommy

The 6 is blocked by the pen...fairly high tech ;)

Daddy and his little boy

Luci seeing him for the first time

All the kiddos

Thanks Maw Maw for the t-shirts:)

The kids loved seeing me...still on the Magnesium drip

Eating the traditional Panera meal

Brothers!

2011-08-15T12:55:00.003-05:00

Let me just tell you how blessed I am that Max and Zane will have each other:) They are going to be so full of energy! (although you can't tell that about Zane in the pictures!)

Love those feet:)

Baby Zane is here! The birth story and first pictures

2011-08-14T13:44:00.000-05:00

Whew! What a long story to tell...and where to start.

Some of you may remember that the due date of Zane was up in the air in my mind. By my LMP my due date was August 28th. After our 20 week ultrasound our date was changed to August 8th. I always felt a little uneasy about this...mostly because I am ALWAYS pretty regular with my period, so it just really surprised me that things would really be off this much.

Anyway, fast forward to my '39' week appointment. I came in and they took my blood pressure and it was elevated in the 150's. They took it again and it was still in the 150's, then a third time and it dropped to the 130's. As a precaution my OB wanted to rule out preeclampsia, which meant the rest of the day would be followed by tests and possibly a night in the hospital. Luckily one of my sweet friends was watching the kids because I don't know what I would have done if they were in the childcare at the hospital. Mark left work and was going to meet me. I went and got my blood drawn and then sat in Labor and Delivery Triage for the next 8 hours while they monitored my BP. As you can probably guess they were all over ranging from the 150's to the 120's, one thing that was awesome was Baby Zane was doing great on the monitor. After much stress and frustration AND not seeing an actual dr until after sitting there for three hours they sent me home to do a 24 hour urine test (which is just what is sounds like- I had to collect my pee for 24 hours). This was Friday night. This was also LUCIA's birthday--I felt so bad that both of her parents were gone all day :( But she handled it well. Luckily on Saturday Mark was able to take her out on a daddy date to make up for being gone all day. Before I left the resident asked to strip my membrane, I declined for many reasons the main one being I wanted to go into labor on my own. I didn't want anything to push me into labor if my body wasn't ready. I was 2cm and still carrying pretty high. They pretty much ended with, if the urine test shows a high level of protein in the urine-they are were going to induce/slight chance of c-section on Sunday, because they will assume I had preeclampsia. I didn't feel comfortable with that label, oh did I mention that my blood labs came back normal. So, Saturday I peed in a jug all day, I actually made it to the 2nd jug (which means I peed more than a gallon all day long). My parents came down on Saturday so they could watch the kids if in fact I did have to be induced. I was also slightly worried that we would actually be inducing a 36 week old baby instead of a 39 week baby if in fact my first due date was correct. I didn't feel as huge as I have been at 39 weeks as I did with the other kids. But, over all of this I had to keep telling myself that God is in control.

So, 3am Sunday morning. I wake up and my water broke. To preface this I have had my water break with every one of the kids followed by NO contractions and all of our kids have been born on a Sunday up to this point. So, I had to laugh to myself because it was Sunday...and my water broke on my own, meaning this baby was coming no matter what the test said. This gave me some peace of mind-because I felt as though it was sign God telling me specifically this is ok, this is the way I planned it. I downed some castor oil, hoping for the same results that I had with Max (a four hour labor:). Well, my urine test was over at 8am. Still no contracts...lots of trips to the bathroom because of the castor oil. So we decided to wait a little longer- until 11am. Still no strong or steady contractions. We figure we should probably head into the hospital and give them my test. We were slightly curious as to what they would do considering my urine at this point had been contaminated with amniotic fluid as well.

They take my test anyway, and the protein DOES come back elevated. (maybe because of the amniotic fluid, maybe not) POW-I am labeled with preeclampsia. Still don't know exactly how I feel about it...but at this point I can't really fight it. My blood pressures that morning were in the 120's and 130's and one reading the in the 150's. They asked me if I wanted a c-section, to which I replied WTH...just joking, I said no. So I signed up for an induction, by this time I was finally feeling a tiny bit of my own contractions. But it would take 50 years at this rate for Zane to be born. To preface this (we didn't know he was going to be Zane-we didn't know the gender...although after my water broke, I felt like it was a boy because is was VERY similar to the way Max's water broke) My nurse gave me a kick butt IV. Which I was very thankful for because with Luci's 40 hour labor I lost my first IV and had to get a 2nd one-YUCK. So, around 2pm I start getting a low dose of pitocin. Now, another thing I forgot to mention and that is the treatment for preeclampsia during and after labor. I would have to receive Magnesium through my IV. It makes you feel drowsy, HOT, and slightly disoriented. I also noticed sensitivity to light...BIGGEST BUMMER was I am not allowed to leave the bed :( Which sucks for trying to work through contractions. I had another awesome nurse she offered me the option for a bed pan instead of a catheter. I took her up on her offer. :) I at this point was still hoping to complete the labor with no pain medicine. Around 5pm, I am starting to question my idea for no pain medication...I hated being stuck to the bed and everytime I did move I would mess up the baby monitor or the one monitoring my contractions. I told my nurse...BELIEVE ME I AM HAVING CONTRACTIONS!!!!!!! She checked me I was at 5cm :( Only halfway :( So, around 5:30 I stop being a hero and ask for an epidural, let my pride fall and just 'enjoy' the last few hours of being pregnant. It took him 15 minutes to get to our room...now 5:45pm. So, lets just say the next 20 minutes are a slight blur. I get to MOVE:) well sit up so he can insert the needle...the next 15 minutes he 'tries' to get my epidural in...unsuccessful. Now, he might blame this on me...I was having contractions every minute even though the pitocin was turned down to basically nothing. I was feeling a lot of pressure....hmmm...I AM GOING TO HAVE A BABY RIGHT NOW. So within 15 minutes of sitting up I am ready to push. The nurse anesthetist gets out of the way, the nurse lays me down to check me...Yay, I am at 10cm. The nurse yells for the dr and tells me not to push yet...hahahaha....let me try to stop a baby from coming out. With in 3 minutes Zane:) our sweet baby boy is born!!!!! With no epidural...but to this day I will always be thankful for the 'try' because I feel that just that little movement helped move things along. The nurse kept saying over and over, she couldn't believe what just happen, she had never seen anyone go that quickly from 5cm to 10cm. :)

Praise God a healthy baby boy. 6 pounds 2 ounces and almost 19 inches long....with, as Mark said, a beautiful placenta as well. I will wonder with him being that small if he was really a 36 week baby. But, really I don't want to dwell on it, just be thankful for the gift given to us.

The next 2 day stay at the hospital was followed by 24 hour bed rest because of the Magnesium...biggest draw back pooping in a bed pan and not being able to take a shower...but the Lord was gracious. I was stable and baby Zane was doing great. I think I was naive to the possibles of preeclampsia, especially since I was so busy denying I even had it. Either way, I will trust this is the way it was supposed to go...and still be thankful for the 'natural' birth I was able to experience.

Biggest frustration was the lack of communication from our OBs in the hospital...they always had nurses tell us their orders. That being said I had great nurses and the Peds department was fabulous as well.

We had our 2 day appointment and he was already to 6 pound 6 ounces...so I say he is doing just fine:) LOVE YOU ZANE FOSTER HUMPHREY!!! Zane (a named picked out my Mark) Foster (my great grandfather's name on the Savidge side) See picture below...more to come.

Ok, Ok, Ok...

2011-08-09T20:59:00.004-05:00

The birth story is being edited. Sorry for those that are patiently waiting to hear all the details. But, I also know some of you are wanting more pictures...so here they are while you wait for the story-ENJOY!

Bright Eyes:)

Sleeping (what he does best:)

Man I love them:)

They cannot get enough of their sweet brother-we are so blessed!!

Happy 'late' Birthday, Lucia Ruth!

2011-08-06T13:53:00.003-05:00

So, Lucia turned 4 this past week (July 29th). I felt so bad, her actually birthday was a bit of a bummer. I had pregnancy issues (which will be explained in a later post) so Mark and I didn't get home until 8pm...on our baby girl's birthday :( Luckily, she had a great attitude about it all. Mark got to take her out on a daddy date the next day. They went shopping and went to chick f la together. Mark said it was great time. She is growing up so fast. I cannot believe she is going to be in Pre K this next year. We love her sweet personality and her love for just being herself. I hope she never losses that. The day before Luci helped me make her birthday treat-chocolate cupcakes with purple icing and sprinkles. I was able to snap one picture from my iPhone on her actual birthday...we love you Lucia!!!

Her favorite right now is anything purple...I bet you wouldn't have guessed :)
She also was VERY excited to now be old enough for a whole vitamin:)

Lakeside, westside!

2011-07-27T12:39:00.010-05:00

We lived on the westside of Lakeside this year. (for the past couple of years we were eastsiders:)
But, we had a great time with family. It was a great week weather wise, not to hot, not to cool and not much rain. We did the normal putt-putt golf, shuffleboarding, golf carting, swimming, sand box, Patio ice cream and yummy Sloppy's pizza. Mark and I were able to spend our 9th wedding anniversary at the Hotel Lakeside (compliments of MawMaw and PawPaw-thanks so much!!!) That is were Mark and I stayed the night of our wedding. It was our first night alone in a LONG time! So thankful to be married to Mark for 9 years:) and many more to come. We also celebrated Luci's birthday with the Hanke side. What a lucky girl-she will end up having three parties:)

Now for the story in pictures (some pictures from, me...some from my dad and one from my grandfather:)

Whole family

All the kiddos

Ella with Chip the leader of God Squad

Luci swimming the lake

Family Picture

Kids:)

Ella putt putting

Luci putt putting

Luci getting ready for her bday celebration

Blowing out the candle

The dock...kite flying

This is from Grandpa Hanke (sorry so small) Luci and Abbey shuffleboarding

Luci and her favorite flamingo Curly (named by her)

Ella and her favorite flamingo Sarah Elizabeth

Me checking my iPhone while Mark enjoyed the sunset

Our room, the honeymoon sweet

Me and My Honey

all the kiddos

Sand Creatures

Boys on the dock

A post I never thought would make it..

2011-07-10T21:25:00.004-05:00

I have tried to post this entry at LEAST 7 times. While we were in Ohio, I was trying to use Mark's PC...and it was not cooperating. Just goes to show I am a Mac girl:)

We were lucky enough to spend about two weeks with family. The first part of the trip was with the Humphrey family. Our kids got to enjoy playing in the country, smores and time with cousins. We even went to the Columbus Zoo and got in for free because we are active military:) There were some firsts while we were there. Luci got her own tea cup for the Humphrey girl tea parties and Max got to shave Papa:) Thanks Nana and Papa for providing the pictures.

We then went to Lakeside for a week (which I will post in another entry), and then came back to the Humphrey's. It was fun to be with everyone. The girls went with Nana and Papa to a theater presentation of Cinderella (which they loved!) and we celebrated Luci's 4th birthday a little early! Luci did her first project with Papa and Ella fell coming in from the deck and got a greenstick fracture (after taking her to the ER on Sunday morning). She has to wear a brace for about 10 days. We then traveled home, we are so thankful for family!

Papa and Max enjoying some homemade ice cream:)

DADDY IS HOME!!!!!!!!!!

2011-07-05T08:37:00.003-05:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to post this. It has been 5 days since Mark has returned!!! It is great to have our family back together. Unfortunately, each of the kids have taken their turn getting sick (great welcome home present, huh). In fact, on the 4th we had to split our family. I stayed home with a under the weather Ella and Mark headed out to a party with Max and Lucia.

But, here are some pictures of the reunion. I took a picture of each of the kids before we left the house. I think you can see the excitement (especially on Lucia's face).

Max wanted OUT of his stroller...he got his way about 1 minute after this photo

OUR FAMILY-together!!!

Thanks to all those who prayed, visited and emailed/called over the past 3.5 months...we appreciate you all!

A really good laugh

2011-06-27T14:21:00.002-05:00

Well, it's my birthday, I turn 32 today:) Had a great meal with my parents and kids at Red Robin. Made some peanut butter pie (a recipe that I got from a dear friend in Glasgow KY)-so YUMMY. But, my real present comes on Wednesday...around 12:30pm at the Norfolk International Airport...yeah, Mark comes home!!!!!! We can barely contain ourselves. I have my ob appointment tomorrow, I am 34 weeks...only 6 more to go.

Which leads me to a funny story. In the car on the way home from Red Robin Ella was asking me questions about all of my different labors with each of the kids. I started talking about Luci and my 40 hour labor and then how Max was only 4 hours. Then Ella asked if her labor was like Luci and I said no, you were facing the wrong way so I had to have a c-section. Her response sent me laughing out loud...in fact I am still chuckling about it every time I think about it.

Her Response-**Well Mom, I was trying to turn around, but then I saw the hole and I decided that my head was too big for that little hole.**

Where did she come up with this? I am still laughing, right now as I type this! Oh, Ella I LOVE YOU!

Family Shots, by the talented Danielle:)

2011-06-20T21:43:00.005-05:00

As you have seen from previous posts, when Danielle and Aaron came to visit Danielle did us the honor of taking pictures of our family. I had the idea to send Mark some photos of us for father's day. I ended up sending him a photo by email everyday for almost the past month. I didn't want to share these on the blog until he got to see them all. With Father's Day in the past, now the rest of you get to see them. :) Here are some of my favorites, Enjoy!

Thanks Danielle, it meant so much to our family!!

He is growing up so fast...

2011-06-19T18:52:00.003-05:00

I don't know if it is because we have a new baby coming along soon, or if I have just been too busy to notice (I hate to admit that). But, my little baby Maxwell...is well...no longer a baby. He is growing up so fast, saying at least five new words a day. He is going to be a great big brother. He gives my tummy kisses and even once and awhile will pick up the girls' baby dolls and try to feed them with a bottle. He will turn 2 in September! My oh my how time flies by!

Happy Father's Day to Mark thousands of miles away!!

2011-06-18T08:42:00.006-05:00

Daddy (Mark to me),

Happy Father's Day!!! I want to make your day special even though you are far away. We are counting down the days til you come home...10 days (that is how many M & M's that are left in the kids' count down bag)! You are an amazing father and an excellent husband. Even from continents away you took care of us and provided for us. There wasn't a day that went by that we didn't think of you and pray for you. It was sweet to hear the kids talk about all the things they loved doing with you and the things they were excited about when you returned. I am looking forward to seeing you first thing in the morning and also the last thing I see at night.

We know that God has a perfect plan for our family and it included this trip to the South Pacific. We have confidence that this time away will be used in the future to glorify Him in some way (even if we don't know how right now). We would loved to have experienced it all with you, but know that we did our own growing here at home.

Thank you for your prayers for us over the last three months. We appreciated you lifting us up and being a prayer warrior for us. We hope you know how special you are to us, how much we love you, how much we miss you and how much we expecting your return!!

Love you my sweet husband: Kim

Love you to you, our awesome Dad: Ella, Lucia, Maxwell and Baby

Pictures are from last summer in Rhode Island Officer Development School! Mark was away for 6 weeks...and it was a crazy fun reunion, I can't imagine what almost four months will be like:)

Also a shout out to my own Dad:) So glad you are in Norfolk so I can celebrate with you!!!! Happy Father's Day! Love you!

Last summer at lakeside...the girls have changed soooo much!!

This way to the BEACH

2011-06-16T22:42:00.003-05:00

These pics are compliments of my Dad, we went to VA Beach today. It was a perfect day for the beach and Max finally spent sometime in the water. It makes it easier when there are three adults for three kids:)

Luci not wanting to be photographed:)

Max enjoying the waves

and the sand

This girl LOVES the water...and the sand

A little more iPhone love

2011-06-12T09:45:00.004-05:00

So while I am out and about taking photos from my iphone is just easier. Here are some recent ones.

Luci eating her ice cream cone from the wrong end...Totally a messy disaster!

Hanging out on VA Beach with friends, while Max eats his sandy apple:)

Max enjoys 'play' time at the library story hour

Zoo field trip with Ella's class

Ladybug fun in our backyard.

On a side note DADDY WILL BE HOME IN 17 DAYS...YEAH...17 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We can hardly hold our excitement! Here is Mark enjoying his Australian Black Hawk helicopter trip!!!

LOVE YOU HONEY!

More Baby Bump Pictues

2011-05-27T19:55:00.004-05:00

I wanted to add a couple more tummy shots. So I remember those mostly 'fun' times:)
Again, compliments to my sister in law Danielle:)

The end of school

2011-05-26T12:12:00.005-05:00

Well, yesterday was Ella and Luci's End of the Year Program. Ella got her Pre K certificate and I officially signed her up for kindergarten last week! When they left the church after the program the organist played pomp and circumstance on the organ. It was just enough celebration but not too crazy with a cap and gown.

Ms. Skees one of Ella's teacher from this year told us that Luci is in her Pre K class next year (which she (both Ms Skees and Luci) is excited about). Although she is possibly most excited about having another Lucy in her class:)

Max will go to the 2's class next year. Seeing him take his sisters to school everyday this year, he will definitely be ready to walk into his own classroom in the fall.

And in Baby news I will be 30 weeks on Sunday....30 weeks-where has the time gone? I will share two pregnancy photos from my shoot with Danielle. Thanks again to Danielle my wonderful sister in law for taking them. They are fabulous!

Now for some pictures and videos of the girls:

Ella getting her certificate

Proudly reading her certificate

Ella with Ms. Skees -Luci's teacher next year:)

Ella with Ms. Chrissie

Ella with her teacher Ms. McCreedy

Luci refused to get pictures with her teachers...she was a little sad and didn't really know exactly how to deal with it. So that is why I don't have any pictures of Luci.

Ella and her friend Laurel are one of the last kids to walk by...no she doesn't even glance at me:)

Weekend with Cousins, Aunties and Uncle Aaron

2011-05-25T13:04:00.006-05:00

I know this was a while ago, sorry it has taken me so long to update. Danielle took some AWESOME pictures of the kids while they were here a couple of weeks ago. We had an excellent time. Unfortunately, all of my kids were sick and passed on that sickness to their cousins, but it was totally worth it (I have faith:) and I hope that Danielle and Aaron know how much it meant to us having them here!

So here are Danielle's pictures, I have a couple iPhone shots to add at the end, but they pale in comparison!

Luci, Lydia and Ella

Max and Levi

The whole gang

Luci and Lydia (and well Max too:)

These are from my iPhone

I could not get one with Levi's eyes open

This is random, but has anyone heard of these (besides Aaron...) He went for a little grocery run while here and picked these up...ummm...they are delicious...just bought more. Hey I'm pregnant, let me enjoy a little treat, right?

Daddy Dolls

2011-05-25T12:45:00.003-05:00

It is about six weeks until Mark gets home, and to make it through the final push we ordered Daddy Dolls (or more politically correct Hug a Hero dolls:). The kids were very excited when they came. Ella said, 'Why didn't Daddy order you a doll, Mommy?' This made me chuckle. I asked if I could borrow hers if I needed it sometime-she said yes:) Max was sleeping in his crib when they came so I put it in his crib while he napped. It was so sweet to hear him wake up and yell, 'Daddy, Daddy!!' I didn't get a picture of Max with his, but her is Ella and Luci with their Daddy Dolls:)

Ella took Mark to school the next day for show and tell:)

Random Camera Shots from my iPhone

2011-05-09T20:15:00.004-05:00

Here is the lasted batch of photos I snapped while on the go...for those of you that are friends on facebook, you have seen some of these.

Ella and Luci inside a shark at the Virginia Beach Aquarium

The kids posing at the aquarium

Watching the Royal Wedding

Max loves sunglasses

Dr. Mark Jr

Some recent statuses that I hope the girls and Max find funny when they read this blog when they are all grown up:)

The girls won recorder horns in an Easter basket from church tonight....music?!

Luci just said 'I just farted in my mouth!' Me- 'Ummm that is called a burp' :)

'hey Luci, where is Max?'....'Oh he is in Ella's top bunk of her bed.' And you thought this was a good idea?

Max is trying to eat the holly berries off of our tree, I am trying to give him a stick to play with instead...sure run with a stick it is much safer than berries! ???

Ella said the carpet at the Academy Awards should be pink instead of red....not surprising coming from her

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T21:37:00.004-05:00

Had a sweet day, a sweet weekend really. Mark's parents came to visit this weekend. It was great to have visitors. They even gave me a morning out by myself (while they took the kids to the zoo). I must say it almost felt strange being out and about on my own {I would have to say, I liked it though}.

Even though Mark was far away he managed to (with his parents help) get me a little something-I mean the kids got me a little something {<3}. I have actually been drooling over them for a couple weeks now. Take a look....

Thanks Ella for the picture:)

Yeah, they are so cute...from Anthropologie:) I recommend them to anyone who loves to drink hmmmm, anything;)

Aunt Marie came for lunch which Dan prepared for all of us. And we ended the day with playing on the beach.

Max, my little ornery boy!

On a special note, Happy Mother's Day to my own mom:) Even though we weren't together today I hope she knows how much I love and appreciate her. Love you Mom!!!!

My Fashionistas...

2011-04-25T13:59:00.004-05:00

Before Mark left he went on dates with the girls and they did something 'special' together. Luci and Mark went and bought a new car seat for her (I know this doesn't sound exceptionally exciting, but it was to her). Ella and Mark went to the mall, Barnes and Noble specifically. She picked out a decorate your own Barbie dress kit. Well, we have finally gotten around to it (only took about a month after Mark left:)

The box

Ella's Dress

Ella's dress after I told her to explore the space of the dress:)

Lucia's Dress

My Dress

All of the finished dresses

Happy Easter!

2011-04-23T21:18:00.005-05:00

We are all missing Mark very much, it has been a month since he left. But, amazingly we were both celebrating Easter at church at the same time...millions of miles apart (we had a Sat. night service, which was Sunday morning for Mark).

We have had a couple celebrations so far. On Friday we went to Mark's Aunt Marie's house for a Easter lunch and Egg Hunt. The kids loved looking for the eggs and spending time with Marie. It was a great way to start celebrating such an important weekend!

I am so thankful for what Christ did on the cross for us on that Good Friday. As a kid our church had a Good Friday Tenebrae Service. Where at the end of the service the lights would go out and the pastor would shut (slam) the Bible and we would all leave in silence. I remember as a child really understanding the deep sadness and pain that was wrapped up in what happen that night. I also remember the smell of spring flowers when we walked through the church doors that Sunday morning for the sunrise service. The smell of LIFE! I am so thankful for what Jesus did for me, my family, my friends...and even those I don't know. Jesus is risen, he has risen indeed.

Stay tuned for the photo roll.

Ella

Lucia

Maxwell

Fun!

Sisters...

This was take #7....Max looks pissed:)

BFFs

2011-04-15T22:33:00.006-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we were in Ohio visiting friends and family! It was great to see everyone. I got to attend Susan's wedding and then toughcat girls the next weekend. I am so thankful for the girls (or should I say women) that God has put in my life. I could go on and on, but instead I am just going to post some pictures!

Me and Susan

Susan, Megan and I

The gang

Jenny, Mandi, Kristina, Gina and I

We missed our three toughcats that couldn't make it!

1st run for the tooth fairy!

2011-03-29T19:35:00.002-05:00

Ella lost her first tooth. It was noticeably loose for about a week. She woke up Sunday morning wiggling it like crazy and it just fell out in her mouth, she didn't even realize it fell out at first. She was so excited! She asked if she talked any differently after she lost it. She does a little, it makes her sound older.

She wanted to put her little wallet with her tooth under the bottom of her pillow, I convinced her to put it towards the side of her pillow-easier for the tooth fairy to complete her mission (so I have heard). The tooth fairy did well, she remember (which was the first step:)

Love this girl!

Mark made it safely!

2011-03-28T20:37:00.005-05:00

Mark has made it safely to his destination. We miss him already, but we have been able to skype already! Mark recorded books for each kid (they are from Hallmark). They LOVE listening to them and hearing his voice.

Picture with Daddy before we dropped him off at the airport!

Luci and Max enjoying their books!

The end of basketball

2011-03-21T00:24:00.000-05:00

Basketball at the YMCA ended this past week. They each played their last game and ended the night with an awards banquet. It was a good 1st experience. Although when I asked the girls if they wanted to do it again next year they both said, 'why don't you sign us up for dance class:)' Either way, I was a proud Mama!

Ella with her medal

Ella and her team, 'Go Bulls'

Luci's team, 'Go Wizards!'

Very proud of her metal (although she lost it before we even left, luckily they gave her another one:)

a last date

2011-03-20T16:21:00.000-05:00

not for forever, but for awhile.

With Mark leaving in about a week for about 3 1/2 months we wanted to have a special night out together. After four failed attempts at getting a baby sitter, our pastor Jon and his wife Rebekah offered to watch our kids (so nice of them, not to mention they have two kids that our kids LOVE to hang out with).

We started out the night picking up an edible arrangement see link. Mark picked it out for me. It was so yummy, there is just something so tasty about fresh pineapple. Then we headed to the beach. On Friday it was 77 degrees...so it just seemed fitting to walk along the water together. Then we headed to the Cheesecake Factory for the appetizers and cheesecake. My pregnant self has really been craving cheesecake.

So I was so excited to take some pictures of us on the beach. We brought our new camera, and Mark took it out and got one shot of me (in which I look like a dork...see below). Then the screen read...battery exhausted...not low battery...but battery exhausted which really means 'I am not going to turn on at all, not even for a second'. We only own one battery.

Nice picture, huh...

Luckily I had my iphone, but with it being at dusk, it wasn't the best quality. Oh well, these will just have to do in documenting our night together. But, despite that the evening was fun and relaxing. There is nothing like walking hand and hand on the beach with the man I love. So thankful God put him in my life. I am going to miss him like crazy!

Me sporting my 'new' haircut!

Ella's Artwork

2011-03-19T13:09:00.007-05:00

Some of Ella's recent drawings including: Ella and Lucia and Mom and Ella
Enjoy!

It was a bit windy in the photo:)

I am the blue one with the flowerpot on my head:), I think Ella has a purple sword

my iphone

2011-03-15T10:20:00.006-05:00

Years from now when the kids read about this post, I am sure they will laugh--'Mom had an iphone, wow she's OLD!' But anyway, I love my iphone. I ordered it from verizon as soon as it was available (which happen to be @3am in the morning:) And since then I have found myself posting pictures straight from my phone to facebook, which is great, but takes away from some of my blog posts. So, I wanted to add some of my pictures I snapped on my iphone, just everyday life at our house:)

Max walking in the rain:)

Ella with her balloon from Daddy (he sent it to her from San Antonio

Sisters

Max and Luci 'reading books'- I love the look on Max's face:)

again...

Love that smile

Luci's valentine's day party @ preschool

my cute curtains from urban outfitters:)

A video for you

2011-03-14T19:36:00.002-05:00

So Max is showing us more of his personality lately...and let me assure you he definitely has one;)

Haircuts

2011-03-13T20:50:00.005-05:00

Ella and Lucia both received a haircut this week @ Anthony and Co. Ella had been begging for awhile (she wanted short hair like Aunt Jill) and Luci has never had her haircut (and well if your sister is going to, you better believe she will too!). They did great, the stylist was very patient with them and in the end, it was a positive experience. My favorite thing Luci said was, "Are those bad scissors or good scissors?" I laughed, but then thought- Hey, this is a valid question for a girl who gets told often that she can't play with scissors. :) Enjoy the shots from my iphone.

Look at those curls...so jealous!! He layered it so the curls would look fabulous...mission accomplished

It's been awhile

2011-03-03T20:33:00.006-06:00

We have been busy at our house. Mark has been on a couple trips recently and that always leaves things a bit crazy. YMCA basketball is still going strong! The girls have been improving each week, I am so proud of them. Ella celebrated her 100th day of school and Luci celebrated Dr. Seuss's B day by dressing up like Sally. It also doesn't help the craziness that I have been really exhausted with this pregnancy...I feel like more than any of the others.

So here are some recent pictures of our kiddos...

I love how are kids love to read and look at books

This is the newest book at our house:) It's cute, it lead to Ella walking around the house all afternoon with her pink cowgirl hat on.

Baby #4

2011-02-17T20:34:00.004-06:00

Here are some pictures of baby Humphrey. Due date is still 'undecided' in my mind. It started out as August 27th 2011....but when they took measurements they (they being the nurse practitioner who saw me that day) moved it up basically two weeks...8.16.11....so when I am two weeks late, I will really be right on time??? I am sure only time will tell...and that's all we have right now:)

Baby's body

Baby's head

Stuck in the house

2011-02-16T17:30:00.003-06:00

We have been stuck in this house for over a week now thanks to the good old 'flu'...

We still manage to have a little fun....

Happy Early Valentine's Day to my Love.

2011-02-13T10:24:00.003-06:00

Recently, we finally purchased a printer that actually will scan to our Mac. (the one we received for 'free' with the computer did not scan pictures...worthless). So, a couple weeks ago we scanned a couple of our wedding pictures. It isn't fabulous quality, but none the less, they are now a jpg.

So happy valentine's day honey! I love you so much, I am so proud of where we have come and where we are going:) Together.

School Pictures

2011-02-05T19:18:00.003-06:00

These were taken this past fall and only now have I scanned them into my computer (actually, Mark scanned them in:) Enjoy!

Ella June Pre-K fall picture (5 years)

Lucia Ruth preschool picture (3 years old)

The other night...

2011-02-04T11:25:00.005-06:00

The other night Lucia and Max stayed home with me while Mark and Ella went to church. Luci was feeling under the weather (although it is hard to tell from the pictures) and Max needed to go to sleep @ his bedtime (he is not very good at pushing his bedtime yet). We had a little photo shoot after bath time. I gave Max a faux-hawk with what hair he has now. I have seen a couple friends post pictures of this hair style on their little darling, so I wanted to join in...maybe it is faux-hawk February? Mark is not as impressed with the cuteness of the hair style as I am, but he humors me:)

YMCA Basketball

2011-02-03T19:50:00.004-06:00

The girls have been enjoying basketball the past two weeks. Watching 3's and 5's play basketball has been described as 'herding cats'...I can see their point. But that aside, the girls are trying very hard to learn the basics. It is fun for Mark and I to watch them (both of us enjoyed playing in high school). Here are some pictures...I will post videos later!

Luci wearing her Wizard's jersey

Ella posing with her ball

Luci eating her snack

Ella made this shot

Luci shooting

Luci's team

Ella's team...the bulls

Old Facebook Status...my kids say the craziest stuff:)

2011-01-23T20:57:00.004-06:00

*Family charades night...Luci just mooned me!

*Ella's prayer last night: Please God help Luci to listen....she might need to do some self reflection..

*Two good quotes from Ella today: 'Being the oldest kid is tough', and 'You never see Strawberry Shortcake's Mom...I bet she is shopping.'

*Luci told me after preschool...'we need to buy a manger, a blanket and rent some animals from the zoo. Me: Why? 'Maxwell can be baby Jesus and people can come from all around to see him.....good thoughts Luci:)

*E: Make a castle, a princess, a prince and a horse out of this playdoh...does she really think I can do this?

*Ella: mom, I am a little bit grumpy today. Me: I am sorry, why are you grumpy? E: I SAID A LITTLE BIT GRUMPY! Oh....I think you made your point.

*question: what is the worst thing (ok almost the worst thing) you could be carrying when you trip over one of your children's toys and fall on the floor??? Answer a children's potty full of pee.

*I come downstairs from putting Lucia and Max down for their nap. Ella is sitting where I was sitting, I say 'Ella, you took my seat.' She responds, 'I was just saving it for you, so no one would get it'....Me: 'we are the only two people awake in the house.....E: 'I know'

*Ella's first day of pre-k and I was reading a book with Lucia. Me: What is that? L: a bed...M: well they are looking for quilt...I am still going to call it a bed and this went on with I'm gonna call it a peacock (not a quail) and I'm gonna call it a mommy (not a queen)...this defeats the purpose of a 'Q' book....

*Still can't believe what Luci asked a dinner guest yesterday! Where does she come up with them? She has only met this girl once before, we were cleaning up From dinner and she plainly asks, do your boobs make milk? Luckily she was sweet about it, but how embarrassing.

*Come on guys (Luci and Max specifically) when we grow up we're gonna be rock stars! ~Ella

*Ella says, remember when uncle Aaron called me pumpkin? Me: I guess. E: yeah he's funny I am not orange or rolled up in a little ball!

*felt a little like Mark Wahlberg (really Andy Sandberg) at the zoo today :) Say hello to your Mother for me!!

*Conversation tonight @ bedtime Luci: Mommy, can we read the story about John the Bathtub...Me: hmmm...do you mean John the Baptist ? L: whatever

*Luci loves birthday cards that sing when you open them...she opens 'regular' cards (the ones I grew up with:) and says, 'hey, these are broken'!

*Ella was playing with her princess figurines (Prince Charming, Cinderella and Belle)...I hear 'No, I want to marry him....No, I want to marry him... No, I'm going to marry him'...fighting over a boy in make believe land...Oh goodness gracious!

*Max's first tooth is breaking through...Luci has three bruises on her head from three different accidents since Sunday...Ella is concerned about the villain in the Princess and the Frog movie-'We need to tell him about Jesus'. Love them!

*Mark was sleeping when Ella came into our room this morning. Mom, can I wake Daddy up with a kiss like all the princes do? *kiss*...(Mark didn't move)...Mom, it didn't work!!!

*Luci doesn't ask 'why' anymore instead she asks 'why because' - I think she has caught on to my answer for many things. :)

*While enjoying the awesome weather today, Ella and Luci were playing castle on their little playground. Ella was princess and Luci was prince...I asked Ella can't Luci be a princess and Maxwell be the prince? E: No mommy...he is our servant...Oh Max, you have no idea what you were born into!

*Luci this morning: mom, can I have another bagel. Me: sure, was it really tasty? L: no. Me: then why do you want another one? L: because I want to....

*Got all the kids to bed...20 minutes later I hear Luci yell- "MOM, I took off all of my clothes and even my diaper!" why? Why? WHY?

*Ella-"hey mom, I listened really well @ preschool today" Me-that's great...wait shouldn't you do that everyday? Ella- (smile)

Birthdays for Grown-ups

2011-01-23T20:34:00.004-06:00

Mark has been in San Antonio for the past week, and will be gone this week as well. His birthday is the 25th of January. So, we had to improvise and celebrate it the weekend before he left. It started with breakfast in bed (I would like to say the kids prepared it, but they did help Mark eat it...I figured that and made an extra egg for them). He opened his presents then we went to church...and the rest of the day we tried to let him relax and enjoy his day. He requested either Toll House pie, Kentucky Derby Pie or Jello Cake for his dessert. I chose Kentucky Derby Pie (recipe to follow in another post). It was yummy, if I don't say so myself.

I am so blessed to have this guy as my husband and am so blessed to celebrate another year of his life! Love you, honey...and have a great birthday (on your actual birthday)!

Told you...Max was really being persistent in getting Daddy's breakfast!

Growing up...is sometimes hard to do.

2011-01-20T14:30:00.005-06:00

Ella has been enjoying her 2nd year of pre-school...Pre K! In 2 weeks, I will attend the open house for her elementary school where she will attend Kindergarten and 1st grade (Luci will go to Kindergarten here, as well). But, this year has been full of fun new experiences. She has homework to complete every night, she has started a reading program and is on book #13. I am so proud of her, she is working so hard. She can write all of her letters and numbers. It is amazing how mature she has gotten in just 6 months.

Of course there are some things...because she is only 5...that I will have to deal with such as: screaming at me when I brush her hair every morning, not allowing her to wear tank tops in the winter and not letting boys kiss her on the playground (this really happen, but we worked through it and I think she (and I) learned a valuable lesson).

There are some other sad moments that I wish I could take away. But, unfortunately we live in a fallen world and this will happen: classmates making fun of your lunch and not letting you in the cool group. I would love to tell her this is the last time it would happen. But, I know from personal experience we have other situations ahead of us that will contain rejection and heartache. It is how we deal with it, that is what's important. Mainly, putting our identity in God and no one else. Tough lessons for a 'little girl'.

painting the town

2011-01-16T13:49:00.003-06:00

...or coloring a cardboard castle. The girls received this as a Christmas present from Uncle Ryan and Aunt Jill. I finally let them color it, they were so excited. Surprisingly it is still standing in their room (minus one of the doors they have ripped off. *Hours* of time has been spent playing in and with this castle. Thanks Ryan and Jill!

Do your kids like to pick out their own clothes?

2011-01-15T13:14:00.005-06:00

Luci and Ella used to let me pick out their outfits. I really would receive great joy from this process. Well those days are history. Every morning THEY now pick out their clothes. In fact, if I try to *help* them accessorize it just ends badly. So, I have given up my control over this part of their lives. Some battles aren't worth fighting, Amen? My favorite is when strangers look at my cuties and say...'Did they dress themselves?'.... I always want to stop and look at my outfit and see if anything I am wearing would give them the slightest indication that I might have in fact picked out their outfits. So, now for the evidence...I am sure the girls will deny this post years from now. I currently don't have a picture of Luci, which is actually quite surprising because she tends to be a bit more outrageous most of the time (for example, she wore a dress and skirt to school one day and her teacher asked me if I was aware-my answer -yes?) I will post some pictures of Luci as the opportunity arises. For now, here is Ella in all of her glory.

Just so you know this is green leggings with a blue skirt with cherries on it. A multi colored diamond designed tank top with a two toned pink cardigan...not pictured (she topped this outfit off with a gold rose headband, of course).

first haircuts

2011-01-14T13:56:00.005-06:00

I didn't want to do it...but Mark said it was time... He might have been 5 before I did it! What am I talking about? Max's first haircut. You could say it was the worst 15 minutes of my life *I mean* his life, as you can see by the pictures (in Max's defense he was feeling extremely under the weather). We were adventurous and tried it ourselves. I usually 'cut' Mark's hair. It usually consists of using the trimmers and doing a few touch ups on my own. So, we tried this approach with Max. We turned on little einsteins, gave him a couple m & m's and the 1.25 inch trimmer-the longest one we had. Mark did the honors, mostly because I couldn't bring myself to do it...did I mention his hair was getting long enough it had a little curl at the end? Anyway, it is all but a dream now.

Before...

Just finished

A little gel

He is still my cutie!

Love her

2011-01-06T19:56:00.003-06:00

So at times when she is frustrating me and being stubborn (I know this doesn't happen *too* often), I just remember this face...how can I be angry with her?

Videos from the Holidays

2011-01-04T20:48:00.000-06:00

holiday

2011-01-02T20:24:00.005-06:00

We arrived early this morning from a whirlwind trip to Ohio to see family for Christmas. We arrived in Norfolk around 6:50am...and Mark and I were so surprised the kids all went back to sleep in their own beds until about 10am! As you can probably guess Mark and I were sleeping then too! We split up the drive so we can each get a little rest. The drive took exactly 10 hours...during the day it takes 12 hours....see why it just makes sense to travel @ night?

We are so blessed with great family, there is so much to type and say. Although I think I will let the pictures do the talking:) Danielle took some pictures of the Humphrey's--and I am excited to see how they turned out, I am sure she will add them to her blog sometime, I will post a link when the time comes!

Ella is 5 years old, hot tub time with Papa and John

Lucia and Grace

Lucia and Lydia in matching shirts

Hanke grandparents and the grandkids

Max

Conor

Lucia

Caleb

Abbey enjoying the snow

Ella eating the snow

Well life goes back to normal this week....Excited for a action packed 2011!

snow...on the beach??

2010-12-26T09:29:00.004-06:00

This is nothing like the 32 inches we got last year in Baltimore (remember this post?) But, we are getting a decent about of snow, especially for around here! Church was canceled. With not much more to do we went outside and played (Max and Luci didn't last very long...see photos below). We are hoping this clears up soon, we are Ohio bound tomorrow.

Ella before we went outside

Max is not so sure about this

trying to make a snowman...wrong kind of snow.

He did smile a little bit

So did Luci

Do you see me in the reflection?

At this point Luci is yelling, I HAVE BOOGERS!!!