Mackinac 2014

We were supposed to leave for Mackinac Wednesday night.  Due to lots of things coming up for both Eric and I, we decided to postpone and leave early Thursday morning.  We left at 7 on Thursday morning and took the 12:30 ferry.  We had to do a potty stop (for me-ha) and then stopped at Walmart for Lactaid pills and a bike lock.  We cruised over to the island and promptly gobbled some lunch by the pool.  It was beautiful out so we decided to do some shopping and riding our bikes.  Joelle didn't want to ride her bike so her and I shopped and Eric ended up taking Adelyn and Brecken up to see the fire trucks and cruise the back streets.
 

The kids had been begging to go in the pool since we got there.  J and I had picked Adelyn up some goggles (goo goo goggles, googles, go go goggles).  She hates going under water and our last thing to try was goggles.  They did help-but they didn't fit her face very well.  They fit Brecken, on the other hand, perfectly.  We are officially convinced there is no attractive way to wear goggles.

Adelyn swimming like a fish.  Joelle testing the currents out.  She, surprisingly loooooooved swimming.  When we were in Indianapolis she wouldn't swim in the pool, without holding on to someone, for anything.  In NC we were only in the ocean, so she just got her toes wet.

Friday afternoon all our friends arrived.  A, B and J watching them swim.  We aren't sure who the zoo animals are in this picture...

We went for a little walk after some swimming.  Brecken promptly fell asleep.

After 5 years we decided it was time for a whole group picture.  J is hiding behind Mr. Nate.

We are a classy bunch.

Saturday morning Joy came up with a scavenger hunt for all of us to do.  We had to take a picture of::

Tandem bikes.  We couldn't find any on the street so "early" in the morning.

 

the number 7, fudge, horse poop,

 

and a historical marker

Then we had to bring back something that starts with "c," something green, a stick, a rock and a brochure.


 We decided Saturday would be a good day for bike riding.  It was rather chilly and windy in the morning and I originally didn't want to go.  Then everyone decided to bike inside the island to stay away from the wind.  I'm glad we decided to go.  It ended up being one of our better rides around the island.  The wind pretty much stopped, the sun came out and there were parts of our bike ride we were actually sweating.

Adelyn rode the wee-hoo behind Eric, Brecken rode with Brynn in a burley and Joelle rode with Sawyer in a burley.  We were hoping by separating them boy/girl we would keep the fighting to a minimum.  Our plan worked perfectly:)  All four of them ended up napping too.

Little B and Brynn

Joelle and Sawyer

Most of the crew gearing up for bike riding.

 B-diddy sacked out.

Watch for this one as our family Christmas card.  Missing 3 people..

The 4 oldest...everyone else was sleeping.

"Show us your muscles!"

 I called this my most relaxing bike ride in the 6 years we have been going.  My husband had one child and my wonderful friends pulled my other 2.  So all I had to haul around was my big ole belly ;)

Joelle and Sawyer talked and talked for the first part of the bike ride.  J slept for the middle.  S slept for the end.

We had gone to the park in front of the fort in the morning and they had ripped out all the bark so it was a big mud pit.  After our bike ride we decided to head back to the school to use their playground.

I tried to get a picture of Brecken and Sawyer together.  This is what they did.

Sawyer and Joelle

Adelyn coloring a picture of the Grand while we waited for food at The Gate House.  Don't even get me started on that restaurant..

The kids wanted to go "super fast" down the street.  So big Momma had to run down main street.  Eric saw it fitting to take a picture.  Thankfully he didn't take a close up. 

I was in the bathroom doing my nightly snacking and reading when Joelle woke up.  So I didn't get to eat my yummy piece of fudge.  Eric thought somebody left a present for him on the bathroom floor.

Sunday morning, final swim.  Brecken was sporting a mohawk and Eric wanted me to get a picture of his shark fin before he soaked it.

Cue Jaws..

This little boy, on the other hand, has NO fear.  He was in love with the goggles (despite their rose colored appearance) and he looooooooooooooves swimming.

 

My poor little Joelle.  Thursday night I heard her a couple times, with what sounded like a croupy cough.  I never heard from her again.  Friday we spent 6 hours in the pool and she was up alllllll night with a croupy cough.  Turns out chlorine can do that to you.  Saturday we only went in the pool for 45 minutes and we kept the bubbles off in the hot tub.  That seemed to help and she just had a regular cough, that night.  Sunday she was super lethargic, had a low grade fever and didn't want to do anything.  Then we thought she was getting sick.  She rode in the stroller for our whole bike ride and just dozed off and on.  We got in the car and about an hour and a half into our ride, mid-nap, she started vomiting everywhere.  In our 5.5 years of parenting we have never had a barfing child in the car.  It was disgusting.  After I got her all cleaned up I had to strap her back into the vomit filled seat and off we went for another 2.5 hours.  In a vomit filled car.  She didn't want to go to sleep again "Because I will frow up."  :(  She did end up falling asleep again and slept most of the way home.  When we got home we threw her in the tub and her fever was essentially gone.  She slept all Sunday night, woke up at 6 to guzzle some water and then I had to wake her at 9.  She scarfed breakfast and hasn't looked back.  We are chalking it up to chlorine poisoning.  Because, apparently, that is a thing.  For reals.

The kids loved riding on Daddy's shoulders and him going under.  Brecken loved it when they both went under.

 

 B also loved being thrown...

SPLASH

Adelyn graduated to hopping into the pool, and going under, from a seated position.  We hoped she would just jump in, after watching all her friends do it.  Just kidding.  She psyches herself out every time.

 

So she hopped in.  And didn't get wet at all.  So I made her do it again;)

 

I have a hard time reading.

After we checked out of the hotel and ate lunch, it was so beautiful out we went for a long bike ride.  I wanted to take the kids up to see the barns by the Grand.  That required them biking up the hill next to the Grand.  And me pushing the stroller with all our luggage and Joelle.  We made it.

One of the barns.

Biking next to the golf course.

We took Adelyn, on her bike, down this hill 2 years ago.  We decided we weren't going to do it with 2 on bikes and 1 in the stroller.

B waiting by the governor's house while Daddy went to help Adelyn. 

The view from the top of the island.

The fort.  And the hill we decided to take the kids down.  Daddy carried the bikes.  We walked.

Adelyn and Brecken wanted to check out the wigwam.  Then they had to sweep it out.

Joelle doing what she did best on Sunday.  Dozing.

 

Biking down Main Street.

Adelyn cried when we left the island.  Or, rather, she cried when Joelle gave Brecken her crackers.

Brecken was obsessed with the ferry ride.  I think that was his favorite part.  When we told them we were going to Mackinac again he asked about riding the "big boats" right away.

Momma and the sickie.

Another chlorine story.  Brecken got burns alllllll over his back from his floatie.  They weren't so "bad" while we were on the island but you should have heard him SCREAM when we put lotion on him.  After the second time, I wised up and used coconut oil.  Didn't bother him at all.  On the ride home he cried a couple times because "my back is hurting me!"  We chalked it up to him being tired.  Then we got home and actually took his shirt off.  Eric called him "12 years a Slave."  It was awful and still is.  It looks exactly like a chemical burn.  Then he had a reaction to the medical tape I put on his skin.  I can't win.

We decided this was one of our better Mackinac trips!  The weather was steady and reliable....and decently "warm."  We didn't have to change anyone's diapers.  No one fought us for sleep-they fell asleep within minutes every night.  We weren't nap-obsessed.  And it didn't snow.

bUmPdate::30 weeks

30 weeks!!!  Ahh.  News flash::That means I have less than 10 weeks to go.  Or less.  Or more.  But hopefully less.  I missed my 28 week update.  Life has been crazy.  That's all.

Eric said the other day "you have such a love/hate relationship with pregnancy."  He is so right.  I love BEING pregnant and feeling the baby and love the idea of growing a life.  Right about now I start not liking pregnancy so much.  The shortness of breath, lugging a watermelon with me, being fat (I know, I know, it's not fat.  But when my legs touch and my arms look huge and my neck has 3 chins, well, I feel fat).  I told him the last 10 weeks, it's his turn to carry the baby.

Highlights:: 

How far along:: 30 weeks.  Belly measured 30 weeks.  I almost cried.  I have been consistently ahead, which never happens, for me.  So I was hoping for an early baby.  And I do, typically, fall behind as my pregnancies progress.  We shall see.  Eric laughed when I told him.

Heartbeat:: mid 140's

Clothes:: Both.
Weight Gain:: 25lbs

Movement:: I told Eric the other day, and mentioned to the doctor, that I think this kid has diagnosed ADD in the womb.  Or is just super bored.
Last night the baby had the hiccups in my ribs.  We could actually feel the head moving up and down as the baby hiccuped.  That was super cool.  I (and Eric!) have never felt that before.
Symptoms:: Lots of shortness of breath.  If I'm not sitting straight up or laying flat on my side it feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest.  This little one has been living in my ribs.  Sometimes I'll have Eric sit with his arm pressing the baby down just so I get some relief.
What I miss: Breathing.
Cravings:: Ice Cream.  Candy.  I wonder why I gain weight like no one's business, at the end :)

Best moments this week::  We leave for vacation and I got the go-ahead from my doctor.  Good BP, good weight gain, clean urine (bc everyone wants clean urine), no crazy symptoms.  Good to go!
 

What I am looking forward to:: Visits every 2 weeks! 

Names:: Names.  Bah.ha.ha.ha.ha.  This poor child has been our most difficult one yet.  I told Eric he could have his pick for a boy name IF I got the the spelling for the girl name.  He still won't say yes.

Funny Moments::  I've been asking the kids for name suggestions.  Adelyn wants to name the baby Ariel.  I ask for more suggestions and she will say "Those are my choices.  That's all I got."  Oh.  I'm sorry.  I thought I was talking to my daughter.  Not her father.  And thanks for the "choices."

Brecken wants to name the baby Farmer Joe.  Me "What if it's a girl?" B  "It will be a boy.  We will name him Farmer Joe." 

He, also, started asking how the baby is going to come out.  I told him "God will make a way."  "Oh.  Ok."

Brecken prays for the baby every.single.night.  

 Today Adelyn heard it was Mother's Day on the radio.  We/I haven't even mentioned it to her.  We don't make any kind of a big deal about hallmark holiday's at our house.  We actually try to make it a point to be out of town ;)  She said "Ooohhh Mother's Day!  We will have to treat you like a princess allllll day!  I am going to get special things for you!"  She wouldn't stop talking about it all morning.  We were talking about it before we went into her class and I said "Mother's Day is when you give your Mommy all kinds of kisses and hugs all day long."  Then a couple minutes later I gave her 3/4 kisses.  She said "It's not Mother's Day yet."  Oh.my.word.

Everybody loves to rub my belly.  "Can the baby feel this?"  Adelyn loves to feel the baby move.  She will sit patiently until the baby moves and then get all excited :):)

Our Garden Thus Far

The kids have been sooooo excited to get in the garden.  They LOVE to dig for worms and plant the plants.  We got in it on Saturday and turned all the dirt.  What you see growing already is the plants that keep coming back.  Chives, onions and garlic.  We went and picked up a bunch of seeds and everybody hopped in the garden.

The girls are digging for worms and B was coming to find me "Because I was taking too long."

We planted potatoes, peas, carrots and broccoli.  We have beans and lettuce but we will wait a couple weeks to get those in the ground.  I'm doing something different with potatoes this year.  We shall see how it works.  The bins have the potato plants in them.  The idea is that they are easier to cover and also easier to dig up.  I'll probably start another potato bin or two in 3/4 weeks.  We shall see:)

 The kids just love to be in there digging and Brecken said "We are planting lots of veggies so we can eat them and grow big and strong and be giants!"  Amen.

Awana::Awards Night

We had our Awana awards night.  Adelyn was SUPER excited to go.  These two cuties came along with Daddy.  They were excited to come too!  They.can.not.wait. until they get to go next year.

Big Momma had to get up front and hand out awards.  I did not have to speak....but did have too sing.  The things we do for our kids...

All my little Cubbies (and Cubbie bear!) that made it that night.

Such a rewarding year with these little people.  So many blessings.  Looking forward too next year!

Tulip City Panache::Community Group Edition

The men in our Community Group had a get together so we decided it was time for the ladies to go.  We headed to one of the local art places and tried out hand at canvas painting.  They went over the steps with us and then we got to try our hand at doing it ourselves.  Everyone's turned out different and I loved them all!

The group of us that went and everyone's painting.

So much fun!

Awana::Skating Party

We had the Awana skating party last night.  Adelyn has been SOOOOOO excited for it.  It's all she has been talking about.  Eric and I took her together and dropped Brecken and Joelle off at a friend's house.  Eric was real thrilled I had him get skates on.  But let's be honest, not exactly the safest thing a pregnant lady should do.

She skated with Daddy most of the night until one of these became available.  Then she wanted to do it in the little roller rink by herself.  I'd say she did pretty good :)

Then she got Daddy to fly her around the rink.

Ha!

I was surprised how much she loved it!  She wanted to stay until the end so I took off a little early to grab B and J and Daddy and A stayed at the rink.  Adelyn told Brecken and Joelle alllll about it and now they are super excited to go next year ;)