I can't believe that it's already been 2 weeks since I've posted anything. The days go by in a flash. I have been meaning to post a little something, but my days are obviously kept busy with 3 little ones right under my feet.

Last Friday Emma turned 1 month old (hence 5 weeks now), John & I celebrated our 5th anniversary and the following day one of my best friend got married. YEAH! She's been engaged for about 1 1/2 years and I've been helping her plan and prep since then. It was fun to see everything come together and she looked AMAZING. Davis was the ring bearer, Maddy was 1 of the 5 flower girls and I was a Matron of Honor. I don't have good pics of the kids but am posting what I have b/c they were so cute. Davis was especially cute in his tux!

3 Weeks!

Times a flyin'! In the last picture, Maddy was reading Emma stories from the Bible. So sweet!

2 weeks/2 years

On Wednesday, Emma was 2 weeks old. At her 2 week check-up, she had gained a bit and is now up to 6 lbs 12 oz, which is great because she was only 6 lbs 2 oz at her 2 day check up. She is only in the 25th percentile for her weight, 40th for her height and 50th for her head. Quite a change from the other 2! Maddy's head was always in the 90th percentile!

Yesterday was Davis's 2nd Birthday. I can't believe he's already 2!

1 Week 2 Days

Wow...it's amazing how fast a week goes by. Here are some pics that I thought I'd share with ya! Please click on the link below:

Emma Newborn Pics

Introducing....

We'd like to introduce you to our new little blessing, Emma Faith, born 9-5-07 at 9 am weighing 6 lbs 7 oz and 20" long. Praise to the Lord for a healthy baby!

"Cha cha cha Changes.....!"

This is what happens when daddy is in charge! The PWT hair cut.... LOL! He's much cuter in the "after" picture!


So.....if any of you live in the SCV with us, you'll know that it is incredibly HOT. I mean HOT...gross, yucky, life-sucking, melting HOT. It's gross. 110 gross. And let me tell you, you don't know what HOT really means until you are lugging around a 39 week child in your belly while you do your normal things. I really don't think I've ever been so hot before. Can't say it enough. As my friend Renelle said in her blog, I can't WAIT for cold weather...to be able to put on a sweater, for the leaves to change, etc. I wish we lived in a state that actually had different seasons, but cooler weather is my wish right now!

Wednesday afternoon we decided to drive down to Disneyland for one last adventure before Baby #3 arrives. We planned on staying the night and then spending the whole day Thursday there and coming home that evening. On Thursday, we got in to the park around 8:15 am and by 10:30 I felt like I was DONE! I didn't want to say anything and be the party pooper, but around 11 or so, John said, "This is too hot! Let's go home when it's the kids nap time." I can't even tell you how excited I was to hear those words! So we ended up leaving around 2, but it was fun while we were there and thank goodness for season passes! The only major bummer was that I had turned the air off when we left and we walked in to an 87 degree home that took the whole night to cool down. Crappy!


So, some major UPDATES!! Wednesday morning I had a doctor appointment and my doctor decided to induce me the following Wednesday! YIKES! There are a variety of reasons for doing so and I'm pretty against people being induced unless medically necessary, but my doctor assured me that it was totally fine, etc, etc., plus it's only 3 days before my actual due date. He's going on vacation and wanted to deliver me before I left. I'm fine with another doctor, but my parents are coming out Monday to help and since we weren't sure what was going on with the Sheriff's dept, we wanted John to be home for it as much as possible. SOOOOO.....Sept 5th at 6am the party begins! CRAZINESS!! I almost don't like knowing the exact date but it's fun at the same time. I just can't believe it's almost here. I can't believe the Lord is entrusting me with another child! YIKES!

More great news is that after a huge, long, drawn-out, ridiculous process, John FINALLY has a date for the Sheriff's academy! HIP, HIP, HOORAY!! Let me say that again....HIP, HIP, HOORAY! Most of you know the drama, but this process has been unbelievable long and for the stupidest reasons....seriously. It has been so ridiculous and drawn out that it almost felt like someone was playing a joke on us. But I think it is obvious to see God's hand in the entire process, for reasons we may and/or may not realize, but it is all coming together in/for His perfect timing. (And I'm so sorry, but I don't have the energy to type out the entire story for those of you who don't know!). So, Sept 17th, he'll start their "off the street" program where they start out doing office stuff and pre-training, and then the academy will begin Oct 3rd. YEAH!

Words can't describe how proud I am of John during this almost year long process and he has shown more discipline, dedication and patience (some of it forced on us! LOL) than anyone I know. And now he has an amazing body...so back off girls! =) The only problem is that the kids and I are going to miss having him around so much. Davis has gone from a mamma's boy to a daddy's boy and he's gonna hate it! Congrats babe...we love you and are SO VERY proud of you!

2 Weeks and Counting

If you look at my little ticker at the top of the page, you'll see that I'm now at 38 weeks, which is officially full term, and I only have 2 weeks remaining. CRAZY! When I was pregnant with Maddy I definitely wasn't "done" being pregnant like a lot of people at this point, with Davis I was a little ready and with this one I'm pretty much ready to be done havin' this belly. I've just been sooo hot this time around, and of course, more tired and emotional. Not totally sure if I'm truly ready to go through the newborn phase but I'm anxious to meet her, know what she is going to look like, what her personality is and all that. I am very, very thankful though that I have such easy pregnancies and smooth deliveries. I still have a few things that need to be done before the arrival day but I'm definitely not as stressed as I was a few weeks ago. I felt like my mind and emotions were in this crazy turbo mode and had to have everything done right away. I was also planning a bridal shower for my dear friend and I think the combination of it all was a part of the "nesting" mode that us pregnant girls go through, even though I'm usual in denial about it. =)

So I wanted to share with y'all about what I'm doing for my devotions because I'm really excited about it and think it's pretty cool. A couple of my friends told me about a "90 day Bible" that is just that....you read through the entire Bible in 90 days! I've been wanting to start it for a while, but haven't made an effort to do it. Even though I just started (today is day 3), I love it and am anxious to read more. I know it will be a struggle for me because I'm very undisciplined and lazy when it comes to stuff like this, but I think it will get easier as I go along. Kinda like getting myself to the gym....I battle going but once I start I enjoy it and look forward to it. I didn't buy the actual 90 day Bible but am just using my own Bible and following along with their schedule. A friend from my Sunday School class is going to try it too and if you'd like to join me, I'd love it! You have to keep reminding yourself that you are just reading and not studying. I already have lots of questions about the first parts of creation, but I think when I'm done I will go back and try to find out the answers! You can read more about it here: http://www.haventoday.org/blog.php

I also wanted to wish my dear nieces a special HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Emily is turning 8 and Natalie is turning 5 today. Wow! And how fun that these two sisters share the same day. I wish I could celebrate with them but they live in Canada and I don't get to see them much. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRLS!

I thought it was time for an update since it's been just about 2 months, but I have little to report and haven't been too motivated to update my blog! I feel like I've been busy but can't think of anything significant to write home about. I think all the busyness is more in my head and on my huge "to do" list that I don't seem to quite get to. I'm a month away from my due date and there is so much I'd love to get done before then, but sometimes I tend to be unrealistic as to what can be done in a specific time period.

Right now I'm putting away clothes that the kids can't fit into anymore, going through their toys, cleaning out closets, and switching the kids rooms. We are turning our office into Davis's room and I just finished painting it and need to move his stuff over, hang things up, etc. But he now has a big boy bed (a full bed at that too!) and slept in it for the first time today. He looks so tiny in it! Maddy will be moving into Davis's old room and the baby will take Maddy's room.

Today Davis had a nice little crash and it left a little bruiser on his eye. I tried to get a good picture of it, but he wouldn't hold still and I couldn't quite capture how swollen it was. I didn't see it happen, but Maddy said he was trying to jump on the couch and missed. Sounds about right! But 10 minutes later I caught him doing it again so I guess it didn't quite register with him to stop! =) Below are pictures of Maddy during her soccer class and Davis's eye ( a "before" and "after"). Hope y'all are well!

Happy Father's Day!

I'm blessed to have an amazing dad of my own and a husband whose an incredible father to my kids. Happy Father's Day you two!

vacation

gosh...i can't believe it's been a month since i've posted anything! we always keep busy doing things 'round here, but it's never anything too exciting to blog about. over the past month, i was busy with the puppies, who are now all gone and it's back to normal life for ol' daisy. i haven't deicded if i'm going to breed her in the fall....it will depend on when she comes into heat again, when she will be due, etc and how that all falls in line with my due date. but i already have a waiting list for her next litter, so there's some motivation!


the past 2 weeks we've been on vacation. we spent 2 days down at disneyland and then flew to kansas city to visit my family. we had a great time, of course, and the kids just loved spending time with grandma and grandpa. davis can't say grandma and grandpa so he says "ma ma" and "pa pa." it's pretty cute. so at this point, mommy (or mama), grandma and maddy all sound like "ma ma" or "mommy!" =) he's a man of few words compared to maddy at this age, but he's definitely trying to say more and understands a whole lot more than most people think! maddy seems so big now and i know both of the kids are going to seem it even more after baby #3 arrives. the past couple days i have been looking over pics from my parents house last year and it's amazing how much maddy has changed. she's potty trained, sleeps in her big girl bed with no guard rails, gets herself ready (and is very picky about things matching!), is really smart, etc. and it's great and sad at the same time to see how fast it goes! before i know it pre-school (maybe) and kindergarten will be here! =sigh= we'll no more time to reflect on anything too serious.....i've got lots of cleaning, laundry and unpacking to do, but here's a few pics from the past few weeks. love-julie

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the mother's that I get to call my friends or family, Happy Mother's Day!! The story below is just for you and will touch your heart. =)

So, we had this 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently died. Jack
was
a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and
nothing
ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on this
mat
in our bathroom. Well we have 3 kids and at the time of this story
they
were 4 years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli
really loves chapstick. LOVES it. He kept asking to use my chapstick and
then
losing it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep
my
chapstick and how he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to
put
it right back in the drawer when he was done. Last year on Mother's Day,
we were having the typical rush around and try to get ready for Church with
everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in
the cereal box. I am trying to nurse my little one at the same time I am
putting on my make-up. Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten
that this is a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is
motherhood. We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and
I am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the
corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my
chapstick very carefully to Jack's . . rear end. Eli looked right into my
eyes and said "chapped." Now if you have a cat, you know that he is
right--their little butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't
seem to mind. And the only question to really ask at that point was whether
it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the
hundredth. And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it
reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little
creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been using
your chapstick on the cat's butt.

May Days

It's been a while since I've posted anything and thought I'd update ya on a few things. My pregnancy is going well and we're just over 1/2 way. As it often does, the next several months are busy and will fly by! It's funny how different the 3rd one is versus the 1st and even the 2nd one are! I'm curious to see how I'll adjust with 3. It seems like it would be so much easier if I had 3 arms! LOL.........I have heard so many different opinions as to what was a harder adjustment...going from 0 to 1 kid, 1 to 2 or 2 to 3. So far, for me personally, the adjustment was hardest from 0 to 1, but we'll see if that changes in Sept! One thing that everyone agrees on is after 3 it doesn't really matter! Oh....and most of you know, but several weeks ago we had an ultrasound that showed our little pumpkin is a girl! Poor Davis is stuck with sisters! =)

The puppies are getting so big and fun and turn 6 weeks tomorrow. The new families are very anxious to take them home and will come pick out their specific puppy sometime in the next week. Maddy and Davis love them, but the puppies are so excited to see them that they mall the kids when they go outside and try to nibble on their little toes & feet, and jump on them. The kids end up crying and don't know what to do. It's sad but kinda funny at the same time! The puppy above is the female that I'm keeping for future breeding. She'll be staying in a "guardian" home for me.

As most of you know too, my handsome hubby started applying for the Sheriff's dept, etc back in Sept. That's why half of his body has disappeared b/c he's been working out super hard to loose weight for the academy, and of course, for his health. He's been at the same company for the past 7 years and has moved up lots and into a great position. His boss (the VP) told him he was his most talented employee and most of his peers in similar positions are at least in their 40's. (I know, I could go on bragging about him forever!) The only problem is that he has been completely miserable there and became burnt out months ago, which is why he started the process for the LASD. Very long story short, he gave his 2 weeks notice at work and was shooting for a May academy that still had openings. During his final 2 weeks of work, another great opportunity came up with a landscaping company, he interviewed at another law enforcment dept. and his work is scrambling to get him to stay. Needless to say, he (we) now has lots of praying to do and decisions to make. His last day was this past Friday and he's taking some time off to relax, de-stress and spend with us before he decides which direction to head. The kids and I are so excited to have him home for a while! I'm so proud of him for hanging in there for so long for the sake of our family and the blessing of me being home with our kids. It will be exciting to see where he ends up but I'm in no rush for him to go back to work!

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of going to Palm Springs for our yearly "girls only" trip, thanks to my friend Sarah (and her mom...who goes with 10-15 of her friends every year). There were only 3 of us this year and it was definitely a moms weekend away! Our sweet hubby's all stayed home with our kids while we took a much need break. It was a vacation for the kids to have daddy all to themselves! We got home on Monday afternoon and I'm excited because we leave tomorrow to go back again overnight. Sarah always goes for the weekend with the girls and then returns the following weekend with her husband Brian. This year, they invited John & I (and kids) to join them. Unfortunately I have to be back Sat morning, but at least we get to go one night!

Yesterday we drove down to Long Beach and took the kids to the aquariaum, which was so cool. It was surprisingly small, but still fun to go to. Below are some pics!

I've written more than I planned on and am now tired. Plus I've been using this time to put of cleaning up, but should go do it since the kiddies are snoozin. Love ya!