baby girl

So I haven't actually made an announcement on here....but we got some BIG news last week!

We're having a baby girl! And I'm such a nerd...I show her ultrasound picture to just about everyone. Speaking of the picture, you should take a look:) How cute is she?! I'm so excited!

Belly shots-- almost 16 weeks

I'm thinking that this third baby is already making itself known a little earlier than the others did:)

The boys took flight yesterday. Parker has been begging to go fly kites...the prairie is perfect for it. I couldn't stop thinking about one of my all time favorite books, The Kite Runner. And so thankful that my boys are growing up in such different circumstances. Their smiles make me happy! And then there is that one of me...just for kicks. This is my blog, afterall :)

permanent outfit

What have we been doing lately? This and that :) Some things just need to be documented...like Parker's permanent outfit. The one on the top up there...he's been wearing it for four days straight and any other day he can find it. Sometimes I hide the whole ensemble. But I do make him dress in normal clothes when we leave the house...most of the time:)

hiiiiiii!

I really, really, really miss being on here. A lot. But here is the thing...totally lame excuse coming...my computer is in the office/dump room. It is THE room in the house where nothing is unpacked, it still needs to be painted...and even the computer is dusty and gross. Long story short: I just don't like to be in here because then I am reminded that I should be working on fixing this little problem. Ugh. I'm typing with my eyes closed right now. I don't have the clarity of mind to say anything important on here, but here are a few randoms:

*I don't know what is happening, but I feel so hungry. And I'm tired of it. I am seriously not eating for fun anymore...I feel like a bottomless pit. I could eat three dinners. Also, I'm only 13 weeks or so and I'm already about the size I was at 20 or so with the boys. This third pregnancy is so weird. But anyway, I love the little swimmer anyway. He/She makes me happy.

*I had a dilemma in my head the other day at the grocery store. I was supposed to be shopping for the snack for Parker's school the next day. I couldn't make up my mind...should I be the cool mom and get the fruit snacks and juice boxes? Or should I be the good mom and buy the organic carrots and hummus? I know. Dumb thing to even think about. I don't think I necessarily fit into either category...so....I got the graham crackers and mini raisin boxes with flavored waters. Compromise:)

*Have I mentioned how much I LOVE our new house? SO MUCH. I would post pictures....but....hmmm...where is my camera? Probably in this scary room somewhere. And I would take pictures with my phone, but someone Griffinized it and it is no more. Bummer. But use your imagination:) It is really great and spacious...has a rockin master bath...super duper kitchen....and clutter everywhere!

Love to you all! That is it for now. See, I told you I didn't have any meat to share, Kels:)

admiral grampa!

Just returned home from a weekend of celebration. The boys loved touring Grampa's old airplane. I remember doing the same thing when I was their age and thinking my dad was a total rock star! Love this shot!

And then there is this one....what happened? I would LOVE to add some captions here, but they might not be appropriate--especially Griffin's:) But I love this picture of my boys!

all ive got

This is not a real post. I am not going to say it...I literally have no time. But here is the rundown:

1)Today is our last day in our Providence House.
2)Parker started school for the first time yesterday.
3)I'm pregnant. 7 Weeksish...yuck. But yay!
4)We're moving into such an awesome house tomorrow on the prairie.
5)I feel crazy. But Happy. And...loved.

Seriously, that is all I've got. Love to all!

change

Hi. This has to be quick because I have a million other things to do.

Today is our 8th wedding anniversary. It is so great...however, we have SO MUCH on our plates right now that we don't have a ton of time to celebrate!

So much change going on right now. All good things...

I'll have to write more about them all later, but we will be moving later this month to a great house! I can't wait to be in it and enjoy this kind of peace and quiet.... this is the street we will live on! Can't wait!

True to God's word...He WILL let me catch my breath!

sweet parker

We've been having really great conversations with Parker lately. The way kids learn and absorb the world is mind-blowing sometimes. Kids are so much smarter than we give them credit! But a couple of really cute conversations stand out from the last week or so...

Me driving and a bit distracted, Parker in the back set trying on a pretend wedding ring.

P: Mom, when can I get married?
ME: Well, hmmm....when you are older and find a girl and you fall in love.
P: Well, I'm in love with you, mama. I'll marry you.
ME: I love you too, babe, but Daddy already married me and I can only be married to one person.
P: oh. {silence, thinking}
P: Mom? Is Miss Tara married? I think I'm in love with her.
*Tara is one of our best friends...and she's almost 30:) At least he has good taste!

Another converation...I was responding to emails in the office and Parker was working on some art projects. I was slightly distracted...again!

P: Mom, how can I get to heaven with God?
ME: ummmmmm.....(totally taken off guard) hmmmmm....well, someday you can pray and ask God to be your very best friend and for Jesus to come into you heart.
P: Oh.
ME: When you are ready, let me know and we can pray about that...
P: Someday?! I wanna do it now! Now, what do I say to God?

I tell him and I see him go to the corner and thanks God for his life and his house..."and please be my friend and come into my tummy...um, I mean my hearts. Dear God, Thank you...aMEN!"

happy book

I just started a new book that is making me oh.so.happy!! My Life In France by Julia Child. I looooove reading about food, culture, and travel. She describes food in a way that makes my mouth water for dishes I wouldn't normally touch with a ten-foot pole! I'm not far in the book yet, but so far...I smile every time I turn a page. :))

poor thing

My poor, little blog...such neglect! I promise to get back to business soon. We've been busy trying to make the most of the summer...

*Many a weekend spent at the lake.
*Playing in the backyard.
*Venturing out to parks.
*Trips here and there.
*Swimming at the (family) pool.
*House hunting.
*Spending waaaaaaay too much time thinking about house crap. Yep, crap. I'm sick of it. Ready to get back to real life. Soon, I hope!

Enough of that...in other news, my sister is moving to Louisiana tomorrow for a great job. But I'm still trying to get over the fact that she's not just going on a trip this time...she's moving. But I'm so excited for her. It really is going to be great...just different.

Also...how in the heck is it already August? Really, after the winter that lasted 8 months or so, you'd think that we could have 8 months of summer...right? Oh, I'm just not ready to give it up. Slow down!

I promise to be back here more often...lots of stuff to be thankful for and to record!

ten years

I have my ten year high school reunion this weekend! I'm looking forward to seeing everybody and hearing how they've spent the last ten years. I am finding that I like people more once they are grown up:) We were asked to write a few paragraphs about our years since graduation...thought it would be fun to post here. I was really resistant to start it, but then once I got going, I actually enjoyed reflecting a bit...

I can't believe so many things have been packed into just ten years!

After graduation I attended Eastern Washington University. I loved my time at Eastern! I met some amazing friends and was challenged in some really good ways. Once I settled on my major, Communication Studies, I was so glad that I did…it was a perfect match for my interests and skills set. Campus Crusade for Christ was a big part of my life at Eastern...it changed my life in ways I didn't expect! On the first night I went, I saw this guy that I couldn't stop thinking about. He was leading the music and had some amazing talent. I ended up being a stalker :) I followed him all over the place and conveniently showed up in the biology department at all hours (and I had no classes there at that time). It took about five months of effort, but Joel finally noticed me and we started dating. We were married in September of 2001, a year after Joel graduated, on Whidbey Island. I didn't expect to meet my future husband within a month of starting college, but it is all part of the story.

Joel took a job after graduation in Seattle as a vascular technologist and I transferred to Seattle Pacific University to finish my degree. Before graduation in 2002, I started an internship at Imagio J. Walter Thompson, a public relations firm in downtown Seattle. After my internship, I was hired on to stay at Imagio and later transitioned into a role with the Thomas C. Wales Foundation – a Seattle-based civic engagement non-profit in honor of the late Tom Wales. Later, I moved into another role at LATCH, a non-profit supporting affordable housing in the Seattle area.

During this time of early marriage, Joel and I were able to travel around the US and in Europe. We are so thankful we took the time to travel early on, before children and more education. The timing of our trip to Europe ended up being perfect, as Joel was accepted into Physician Assistant School UW Medex. This would prove to be such a challenging, but good time in our lives! Within the span of the 2 ½ years of graduate school, we lived in a church, paid HUGE bills to UW, got pregnant with our first child, quit my job to stay at home, had a baby in April of 2005, lived with family, moved across the state to Spokane, bought our first house, got pregnant with our second child, and then...finally Joel graduated in August of 2006 and quickly started his first job as a PA with Spokane Respiratory Consultants. Whew! What a jam-packed few years. I’m so thankful that all happened, but also so relieved it is over!

Parker David was born on April 17th, 2005. He weighed 7 lbs and was 21 inches long…perfect in every way, of course J Parker is sweet, sensitive, active, smart, and now we've noticed he's a really good swimmer. He looks just like me as a kid, right down to the white hair. We tell Parker that he's the one that made us want to have more! And so, Griffin Jacob was born on February 7th, 2007. He weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and was 21 inches long, also perfect in every way! Griffin is funny, talkative, strong-willed, sweet, adventurous, and athletic, and he...looks exactly like his daddy! Sometimes I wonder how I gave birth to my husband! I stay home with my two boys now and love it almost all of the time! I enjoy having boys and experiencing childhood from a brand-new angle. Joel and I have been together almost the entire time I've been out of high school...and we'll celebrate eight years of marriage in September.

Let's keep in touch...Facebook or my blog: http://amy-ohmy.blogspot.com/

out and about

Sometimes I wish I was Canadian so that I could say "out and about" like they do...

But I guess I'll just stick to writing it out and thinking it in my head... :)

Anyway...I took the boys out today to see some big, wild cats at Cat Tales and then took them up to Greenbluff to pick strawberries. The boys, of course, didn't put any in the box...they just stuffed them in their mouths and tried to look innocent!

There are some really great things about having two kids at these specific ages. It is so much more simple now to try to go somewhere. I actually don't even pack a change of clothes or more than one diaper anymore...so great. And they actually listen to what I ask them to do about 50% of the time...okay sometimes less with Griff but we're getting there.

Here are some pictures from our day...

taking notice

Life has gotten the better of me lately. It is so true...I really see it. I'm working on it:) My mom suggested I take notice of the little things that I do enjoy. It did help. Turns out...life really isn't that bad!

To the best daddy around...WE LOVE YOU!
Parker & Griffin:)

my family

This was our first attempt at a whole family picture in...who know how long. We almost have everyone looking at the camera! I love it!

all day everyday

This is what we do pretty much all day, everyday. It is really wonderful. There is something about watching my kids play gleefully outside that makes me feel good... deep down. Good for the soul, I tell ya!

imminent domain

I've written before about how much I love our house...how much work we've put into it...how it feels perfect for our family right now. But we had the rug pulled out from under us last Friday and now we're staring and these walls and wondering what our future will look like...

The purchasing director from Spokane School District came for a drop in visit on Friday evening to inform us that there are plans to demolish our home and the two next to us to make room for staff parking lots. Parking lots. Legally, they have every right to purchase our home for market value and we don't really have a say in the matter. They actually have the right to condemn the property, however she says that this is something they try to avoid.

We have so many questions and hardly any answers. We have no idea this was even a possibility. Never crossed our mind. We're oblivious to the time-line...to how the negotiations work. All we know is that we've been reminded that this place really never belonged to us anyway. I think I may have been holding on too tight. Maybe to attached to something that is just a building?

We're sad. I feel a bit violated to be honest, even though I know these things are legal. Even though we weren't likely going to stay in this house forever, I had hoped that someone else could enjoy this home like we have and that our renovations would pay off for resale. It will be so sad to drive by here and see a parking lot instead of our first house...the place we started our family.

But I know that we will be taken care of...that God will clear my head and continue to give peace. I trust that God knows my concerns and that we will continue to be blessed beyond what we can imagine. I know how God works...He does that sort of thing.

adults only

I've not really been present here on the blog...and not at my house either. I stepped out for a little while.

You know how it is...the never ending cycle of feeding, cleaning, changing, calming, disciplining, teaching....sleep and do it all over again thing? And of course you know the.... who am I anymore and what the he** am I doing here, this is more than I bargained for feelings? Yup. Been there. So it was time to step off the cycle for a bit and take a vacation!!

Joel's parents took all of their kids and their spouses on a five day vacation to Bend, OR...sans children! They rented us a house in Sun River for all . We had so much fun being just us again. Not being responsible for anything was a good feeling...and so was sleeping in until 11:) Biking, kayaking, horseback riding, pedicures, oh my! So fun. And so fun to remember what it was like to play without kids...and how we have so much fun as a family. Joel and his sister, Lyndzie, even had a dance-off. And Randalls do not mess around...it was pants-off dance-off...use your imagination. Holy Moly. A little taste of what we experienced...and the pictures don't even come close to capturing what really happened!

just two

I only have my two boys today and we're having a splendid day. I'm not going to say it is *easy*....but there seems to be enough room in my head for two. And that is a nice feeling!

Here they are this morning working on some projects out on our new picnic table...my super gift from Joely!

Oh, and by the way...this is my 400th post. I can't believe I have only posted 400. Better get cracking:)

capturing connection

How do you capture the connection of friendship with a camera? Especially if you do it like I tried to...the minute before I hopped out of the car to board the airplane home...:) In a word (or few), I will try to capture what my visit with Jenn looked like...

*hello*connect*laugh*refresh*love*goodbye*

and we must do this again soon
A little side note: that sweet baby of hers completely gave me baby fever! Uh oh.

i miss them already...

It may seem strange to fly to another state to visit a friend I met online. Not strange to me...at this point, Jenn is no longer an online friend...she's a lifelong one. I am so excited to get off that plane today and give her a big hug. SO EXCITED!

But this is my first trip away from my family, by myself, since before Parker was born. Now this is what feels strange. I know it is a good, healthy thing....but it is so strange to be packing just for one. I have no need to remember the diapers, wipes, meds, billions of clothes, boredom toys, bibs, snacks, pacifiers, blankies, teddy bears, baby wash, baby lotion, crayons, dvds, music, sippy cups, pack n play, oh....and the list goes on and on. I can't even remeber all of it. Good thing I don't have to! All I have to pack is a few outfits, shoes, makeup....and this little book:)

But I miss them already. As much as I need this trip away, I can't stand the thought of being so far away from my boys.

Joely, Park, & Griff...I love you so much! You three are my life...my loves. I'll miss you every minute.

Have a great boys weekend... and remember to clean up your messes;)

pd's b*day!

Parker's special party turned out to be a beautiful day. Great friends and family joined us in our backyard and I think Parker loved it all!

Mobile blogger?

4 Parker

Four years ago today...

I laughed and cried in the very same moment.

I had worked harder than I ever had before....and I learned of a love much greater than I had ever imagined.

You are so many things, Parker. Sweet, sensitive, smart, strong....splendid.

But most of all, you are a blessing. When I think "Parker", I think "blessing". There is absolutely no better word to describe your spirit. I prayed that you would be a blessing to those around you...but I never expected God to exceed all of my expectations.

And just think...you are only four. FOUR! Four years of laughing and crying at the same time...and hoping for many, many more...

Love you so much. Lots and lots. Forever and ever. Amen. Love, Mama

Wheel Of Fortune!

Watch my sis tonight on Wheel of Fortune!! Kelsey Asbjornsen is her name and I promise she'll be dazzling and smart....and totally not annoying:)

too old for this...

Okay, so forget what I said about coming out of hibernation...apparently not happening yet. I'm freezing. I've been walking around with a rice bag on my neck all day, just to warm up!

I'm not even 28 yet and I already feel too old for some of this....stuff. Here is my current list of things I am just too old for....

*Waking up to 4 inches of snow. I can't take it! I hate the teasing. It is gone now, but still...
*Reading this darned Twilight series. I am totally, completely sucked in and I cannot stop. But that is the problem!!! I have four kids here during the day....I seriously don't have time for this. I should be doing more mature things like wiping noses and bums;)
*Lady Gaga on American Idol last night. My goodness...was that supposed to be cool? If so, then I am hopeless. Totally too old for that stuff. Ridiculous!
*And while we're on the subject of Idol...we kicked off the right girl last night, America! Was I the only one who heard the squawking? That was weird. But I love Idol anyway.....Kris, Adam and Danny are my top three!

out of hibernation

We are slowly emerging. It is just 50 degrees, but we are soaking it up. As the snow has melted, I've become aware of all of the filth left over from the hard winter. We have a lot of clean up to do but the boys think it is just awesome! More dirt to spread all over themselves and pour over their heads. It was a delightful time outdoors. Looking forward to so much more of this...