The Final Stage

I thought I'd better hurry up and get some belly pictures done as I am 37 weeks along now!  I didn't want to have the baby before I got my pics done!!  I did the pictures at home - Aunt Katie took them and then we edited them online using picmonkey.  I think they turned out great and I am really happy with them!

Also - just a little baby update: as of last Monday (July 16th) I was dilated to 1 cm and 50% effaced.  I had a few contractions on Saturday and went down to the hospital to be monitored but the contractions stopped and I headed home babyless :(   I have another doctors appointment tomorrow (July 24th) and will hopefully learn that I have dilated and effaced more!  I am looking forward to meeting this little man!! 

Independence Day

What a day! We had a wonderful fourth of July - we went down to my parents house and stayed the night while Joe and dad prepped their drive way for a future concrete pour. While they did that Katie and I cleaned out the boat and prepped it for the river! My mom filled the kids pool up with water and they played and played! Once the guys got done, Katie and I had just about finished up with the boat and we headed down to the river! We went for a long boat ride up the snake river and then found a beach to pull the boat up to. We laid out on the beach and took turns intertubing while soaking up the sun!! I loved it! Afterwards we got back home and had a delicious chicken bbq! After dinner we all hopped into our cars and headed over the the Lewiston side of the river to park and watch the fireworks. The firework show was awesome, they had a ton of new fireworks that did all sorts of neat spirals and shapes high in they sky. Overall I LOVED IT!! The kids did too!! Afterwards we headed home quickly as I hate being on the road late on fourth of July - just a little too risky for my liking. Unfortunately I was too busy having fun to take a lot of pictures but I did manage to get a few of us watching fireworks - I will do my best to remember to take pictures next time!! :P

ME! Birthday + Baby Shower

June 19th was my birthday - I woke up to a beautiful flower arrangement of orange roses and carnations to start my day off!  Then (unfortunately) I went to work all day!!  When I got home we went to Walmart where my hubby spoiled me rotten and got me a Kindle Fire.  I'm still learning how to use it and all the things I can do with it but really love it.  My dad surprised me at work with a wad of cash for my birthday (and who doesn't love that!!) and Katie took me out to dinner and a movie a couple weeks later (in fact we finally got around to it just last night 7/11/12 and it was super fun)!!  My mom got me a coral colored Kindle case that is also awesome!!  I spent my birthday weekend with my family, playing in the water, staying cool, and enjoying my favorite people!!  Overall, we did my favorite things - good food, spending time with my family, playing in the water, and having everyone celebrate me!! haha....

The weekend after my birthday was my baby shower.  Alicia and my mom threw it for me.  It was small and at my house but my besties were there and we enjoyed some good food and fun games.  Alicia spent hours (literally) make poofy things for the ceiling, my mom made the cutest fruit baby ever, Alicia made a bubble bath fruit punch bowl, and I got a ton of really awesome gifts!  We got lots of clothes, a swing, a bouncer, scrapbooking kit, and more!  We played the cotton ball game that had us all laughing so hard and the dirty diaper game that was both disgusting and delicious at the same time!!  It was a wonderful day, I enjoyed it very much, and appreciate my friends and family who made it all come together!!

Cameron got a boo boo

Early this month we are all unloading from the car to go watch one of Kaleb's t-ball games.  Grandpa Smith rode his motorcycle and Cameron saw him and ran over to him to say hi.  She was wearing a little jean skirt as has she leaned up against his bike she stuck her knee right on his hot exhaust pipe melting a large spot on her knee.  I don't think I have ever heard her scream so loudly.  Luckily I had some ice water and poured it on it quickly while we tried to console her.  Funny thing, my little tough nugget was wrestling two older boys about an hour later!!  She is one tough cookie!!  That night I got her to sit still long enough to take a couple pictures of it.  She kept reassuring me it didn't hurt her but also made it very clear that I was to get nowhere near it!!  She babied it for a few days and then found that it healed quickly.  Today there is a little spot where it was but for the most part it healed wonderfully!

On Father's Day we got up early and got ready for church.  We went to church with excitement as Joe was going to be called to a calling that was NOT PRIMARY.  He was so excited and ready to for a new calling!  He got called to assistant ward clerk (specializing in finances) and was nervous about it but excited!  At church he was asked to stick around and learn the ropes afterwards - on an ordinary Father's day I would have been irritated that he was going to be gone for several hours after church and we were spending Father's Day without our father - BUT - on this fine day the kids and I had planned a special surprise for Joe and were completely at a loss of how to cook without him knowing what we were cooking!  What better way than for him to not be here!  So he dropped us off at home after church and me and the kids rushed around the kitchen together mixing, beating, whisking, etc. to make dad some delicious zucchini bread!  Joe has been asking for zucchini bread for 5 years and I had yet to make it for him.  So I told him all week that I was making him something for fathers day and I was excited to get it done as it had taken me "five years to make!"  He was soooo confused!
When he got home he sniffed the air and smiled hugely as he saw the two loaves sitting on the stove top.  It turned out delicious!

Aside from satisfying his tummy, we also got him a new Makita drill set which came with a free saw that just came in the mail yesterday - overall it was a great set and he loves it!  I don't know how we managed without it as he's found a use for it almost daily!!!  I wish there were appropriate words to say that could explain my love for Joe and my thankfulness for him and the love he has for our children.  He loves me, he treats me better than I could ever hope for, he loves our children, and does his very best to be a hard worker, a good husband, and an amazing father - no wonder there's a special day for dads!

Kaleb and his team

So not everyone made it on picture day but here are a few of the kids on Kaleb's team!  This picture is great - Kaleb is loving T-Ball (especially playing catcher) and has really enjoyed playing this season.  Our last two games are next week and we are sad to see it end.  He did awesome, the coaches did awesome, overall it was just an awesome experience and I can't wait for next year!  (I will add another picture to this post later - I've got a large one of just Kaleb as well!!)  I'm so proud of all the boys in my world!!  Go Joe, Dad, and Kaleb!!!

Backrow: Joe (Coach), Paige, Jake, Carter, Malia, Andy (Coach)

Front Row: Trevor, Kyle, Taylor, Kaleb