Luau Sneek Peek...

Since it's such a CRAZY week with school ending tomorrow, I just can't devote much time to a lengthy/thoughtful blog post, but I know my mom wanted to see some pics from the big 9th b-day luau party we had for Shelb this past Sunday at our house, so here's a few to tide her over :)  It was probably the most stressful party we've ever had (and that says a lot since we've had Dylan's rowdy boy parties at our house too), but given we were just very unprepared, had a crying baby to deal with and then our basement flooded again during this, it just ended up to not be extra chaotic.  All that being said, the girls seemed to have a great time regardless of the snafoos.  I hope to do a big post on the party soon, b/c it came with lots of fun details, but for now you get to see Shelb and her tiki/luau/Hawaiian cake that we made (it had a sad lil' fondant hula girl on it too courtesy of me...but she didn't look good enough to go on the front :)), and then all Shelb's festive buddies and Logan learning the limbo (he was not a big fan b/c he's a huge non-fan of grass!)  More pics to come after the chaos of the final days of school....

Odds and Ends of the Week thus far...

 So, here's a quick recap of our week thus far...actually all these pics (but the last one) was taken on Monday...it was our crazy, busy day....Hailey was inducted into the NJHS (National Junior Honor Society) at her middle school.  We are so proud of her....so well rounded and yet so smart and so grounded. (yet, so bummed I had to miss her ceremony...have I mentioned how hard it is getting to two (or more) places at once lately...ugh...down side of tons of kids and a busy lifestyle :))

 While Kev was with Hailey on Monday at her ceremony, I was with Shelb at hers...her bridging ceremony to be exact...she "graduated" from Brownie to Juniors...so happy to be wearing green now instead of brown :)  And, yes, she LOVES big bows/flowers in her hair now...maybe that's b/c I never put them on her as a baby?? lol!

 While the older girls were at their big ceremonies on Monday, D went to soccer....but more importantly he got a note from the principle at school on his rocket math....he was all smiles about this!  It's very impressive for a 1st grader to be doing so well on multiplication. He is our math whiz for sure!

 Ash...she playing mama to 5 butterflies in cocoons.  She looks worried b/c one fell off the top of its lid and we think this means it won't live to be a butterfly :(  She was sad :( :(  We wanted 5 babies to match our 5 babies :)

 Logan...he just spends his days being super cute.  He succeeds greatly at this :)  Though I have to say I am baffled as to where my always-happy baby went. Ever since his shots last week he is crying up a storm. I am holding him now after he screamed for an hour straight.  Poor boy...just breaks my heart :( :(

And above is exactly one year ago today when Ash got a first glimpse of what it was like to be a big sister (after we had our first u/s of Logan).  She actually had no idea what this picture was, but I made her hold it while I took a picture with tears running down my face.  I really thought I was going to miscarry this sweet little baby with its little beating heart.  I called my mom right after this picture was taken b/c I was so beside myself with fear and sadness.  It was then that my faith journey began....and now look at the picture of my sweet boy above...I cherish that he is here crying his head off, b/c a year ago today I really thought I'd never see his face or hear his cry.....God is good....

Sweetness :)

I was looking through pics last night and saw this one and my heart just melted.  I have no idea what they were talking about on that lovely day just sitting by the creek, but I'm sure it was a very meaningful conversation.  Ash just loves her Nina....and it reminds me of how much I loved my Grandma Fergie and all the special times we had together. If I could make a postcard, I'd put this picture on it :)

Loved!

 In case you ever wonder if a 5th baby can be loved as much as the rest...he can (not only by Kev and I, but by his sweet siblings)....I cannot imagine our world w/o him and I know his sibs feel the same!  I love the above pic of my oldest and youngest.  Not sure why it's so orange...but it's still so sweet :)

 The big littlest sis with her smiley bro at IU when Nina was here...we love those tulips!

 Truly no one can make this boy smile as much as his siblings (and Nina G :))

 They even rock him to sleep at soccer games...Shelby was so proud of herself this day :)

 I'm not sure L was so sure of D in his cub scout paint :)

 But, normally our littlest boy LOVES our oldest boy and the feeling is mutual.  Dylan truly adores this baby and he even told me tonight..."I would like to have another baby...they are mostly fun and cute except for the poop and pee and puke...and crying"...He's right about all that!  I had to break it to him that there will be no more babies in our house though...he was slightly disappointed :)

 I heart this above pic....just look at how Logan stares at his sisters....it was his first time "trying" a bottle.

 I just adore my boys...never thought I'd have two of them amidst my girls...but I just love what they add to our family!

 And love these two pics of Logan on Shelb's b-day....he just LOVES hair lately and tries to eat it...and she just had him giggling...

If you would have asked me 2 years ago if I'd see our family with a 5th baby, I'd say "no way"...I was quite happy with the 4 gifts God had given me....but 4 months ago (well a year ago actually) that all changed and I am so grateful our lives were completed by Logan.  He is the caboose God knew we had to have! 

About to lose our minds...

Well, this will be a picture-less post today b/c seriously I think Kev and I are about to lose our minds.  Not only did our basement flood last night at midnight while we were in the midst of luau birthday party planning, but it also decided to reflood right during the party today.  Needless to say that could not have been worse timing b/c the oh-so-fun luau we had planned was way too much on our plates even before this major snafoo.  We tried to tackle too many complicated crafts, didn't really have everything planned out well enough and didn't have anyone to really help us (we probably needed 4 extra helping hands...thankfully Hailey and her best bud, Julia, helped out though I'm not sure they were pleased with this arrangement)  And the baby who never cries decided to cry the entire party :(  It was just not our day.  So, this mama is tired...worn out and just about to seriously lose my mind (and to make matters worse, I think Kev is even worse off than me in the losing mind department :(). I think we only slept a few hours last night too so that is not helping.  But, on the bright side, I think Shelby has a great time with her friends and the weather was beautiful. She was bummed we didn't get to play all the games we had planned, but that's the life we lead.  We never get all we had planned accomplished. I need to learn to stop setting the bar so high!  And she did superbly at her violin concert right before the party (note for next time...don't have party right after this!).  Anyway...but the BEST news of the day is that now I don't have to throw a birthday party til September! YAY...I love summers for this reason!!! 

A Year Ago Today...

 In the middle of making these sweet treats...

 ...and being the proud mama of a graduating Kindergarten boy (who loves to sing, by the way!)...

 ...while trying to be a busy mama...

 ...and celebrating my boy's achievements...

 ...and helping organize and set up for Hailey's 6th grade grad. party at her school...

 ...and taking her and her bestie, Annie, to the dance...


...our world was ROCKED by this news....

I remember this day like it was yesterday...5/18/2012...a crazy busy day for me getting ready for two big events in our kiddos' lives....but at the same time I had been feeling so icky for weeks...I thought I had the flu at first (was sooooo nauseous)...then had some terrible pain so just figured it was womanly issues.  And I remember getting up this morning and reading an email from mom.  I had been pouring my heart out to her about how I had felt lately...and she nonchalantly mentioned...."are you sure you aren't pregnant?".  Never had it even occurred to me that THAT could be case.  But, I started to feel worse throughout the morning as I was making D's grad cakepops...and Kev had just left for work and I remembered I had this very old dollar store pg test sitting in the bathroom.  I thought "why not"...may as well check and truly never thought it'd be positive, but I think before my pee hit the stick it was a double line. I was sobbing. I think I almost passed out.  I remember fumbling for the phone and told Kev to come home. He had already been worried about me b/c I'd been so sick....and he raced home...came in the door and I showed him this with shaking hands and fell into his arms sobbing...not sobbing b/c I was sad I was pregnant, but so scared that I thought I had lost or was going to lose this baby due to the amount of bleeding/cramping I'd been having.  I don't remember his exact words, but I know he wrapped me in his arms and said something to the affect that God's will would be done and it would all work out no matter what....it was a very scary day for me...mixed emotions and I didn't want to breathe a word of it to anyone (while also trying to stay in the moment of my current kiddos' lives).  So we kept this little secret til the next week when I had an ultrasound that showed our baby (with a little beating heart) was lying on a cyst that could bleed out and take the baby with it or dissolve and not be an issue in a couple months.  It was not the news I had hoped for...we had a 50/50 chance of miscarriage.  We cried some more, but hoped and prayed and trusted God had the best laid plans.  I remember telling my mom for the first time that day of our u/s....I was so scared, but she was my rock like she always is.  I don't even remember much about the conversation, but I'm sure she cried for me too....but we prayed, we waited, we trusted....and this was our end result....

I can't even really put any words down on this page that express how utterly grateful I am to the good Lord in heaven for the miracle of this sweet eyed boy above.  He melts my heart each and every day and I cannot imagine his little face not in our family.  It is this face that I almost didn't want to think about a year ago b/c I didn't think he'd come to be....and now look at where one year has gotten us.  I am blessed beyond measure!!

When daddy babysits...

Back in March, I left Logan for the first time (with daddy)...so Hailey and I could go to the spring ballet at IU.  When we came home at about 11pm that night the house was eerily quiet and we couldn't find the baby anywhere.  Then we noticed an extra bundle on top of our drier. Daddy had gotten the brilliant idea to put him there (with the drier on!) so the fussy boy would sleep.  All I can say is that it worked...and we got a good chuckle out of daddy's babysitting skills :)