4 girls... think of the hair!!!...

So-- How do you get from this...

To this?... WITHOUT blood, sweat and tears?

I'm a pretty simple hair momma... everything I've learned (aside from the basic ponytail) I've learned from girls camp... thus i've accomplished the french braid and the messy buy, and somedays the french braid into the messy bun...

My friend Sara linked some cute hair blogs...

I've actually had a lot of fun looking through the styles and directions, just to get some new ideas.

Here are a few that I thought were fun...

She Does Hair Girly Do's It's a Girl Thing (this is a good one for kids without a lot of hair) I am still wondering if the little girls featured in these blogs are really smiling the whole time they're getting their hair done...

vote 2008?!...

OK- I've been a bit wishy-washy this election... I actually really like Obama, and I have for a long time. He feels like a good man to me. I didn't love McCain, mainly from listening to talk radio. But after watching the first few days of the Republican convention I have to say that I really like Sarah Palin... I think anyone who saw and listened to her would like her. Don't all of us have that little girl hope that someday we could be President of the United States? She is a woman that values family and is still making a difference in the world. I like her and I'm pretty sure that I'm voting for them. McCain, I'm not exactly sure... but the convention worked for me so far. I didn't know his background story- how he was a POW for 5 years. I respect and admire his service and I do believe that he will fight for what he believes in, even when it isn't politically popular with Republicans or Democrats... Honestly, I really thought I'd vote Democrat this election, but these two speeches have won me over. See what you think... Fred Thompson- "The Courage and Service of John McCain" Sarah Palin- "Acceptance of the Republican VP Nomination"

what's your last name again?...

THOUGHTS ON WEIGHT-- It's never a good sign when you get weighed at the OB and the nurse looks at your chart perplexed asking, "What's your last name again?" I said, "Why because I've gained so much." She smiled and said, "Yeah." It had been almost 4 weeks since I went to the doctor last, and it IS my SIXTH baby, come on, can't a woman delight in fatness sometime in her life?? (Just a side note-- I went to the OB again Sept.3 and I've lost 5 lbs... Ha! they didn't ask my last name this week...) THOUGHTS ON BIRTHDAYS-- Yeah, I'm still pregnant, I'm actually pretty bummed that I didn't go into labor on the 1st of Sept. Most of you know that except for Jakob (Feb 4), the rest of my kids are born on the 1st. (drew- June 1st, Anna- April 1st, Ellie- Aug 1st and Leah-Sept 1st). At first I was hoping that this baby could be born on October 1st, but I'm not going to go 2 weeks overdue to make that date... so then Sept. 1st passes and now I'm just stuck with 4 firsts and one 4th and one 15th (this is the date they will induce me...). My second plan is that I could have this baby on the 4th and my twin boys (coming next) on the 4th and then we'll have 4 on the 1st and 4 on the 4th... Yeah, i know i'm mental... just laugh and know i've already been evaluated... THOUGHTS ON ORGANIZING AND GARAGE SALES-- i didn't tell you--- MY MOM'S HERE!! She's a great organizer, which is exactly what i need right now because i'm totally ready to prepare my nest for my newest chick... she keeps boxing items for a garage sale that we're going to have... Because i love her, and because i'm grateful for her, this is fine with me... actually I HATE GARAGE SALES. I don't mind going to them, but the idea of bartering with some old lady who wants to pay $1 for something that to me is priceless, makes me crazy. I would much rather give all my stuff away for free with the idea that it is going to a good home where it will be cherished and valued and, i don't have to see who gets it or how much they are willing to pay for it. But, aside from the looming idea of a garage sale, having her here when i'm cranky and obsessing, before the baby comes, is the best thing in the world... i seriously think women in the 9th month of pregnancy need more help then mom's with newborns... THOUGHTS ON POLITICAL WOMEN-- On a political note-- I'm having issues... I was really excited about McCain's VP candidate, Sarah Pelin. She seems like a smart, successful, strong woman who appreciates family and could really make a difference in the world. BUT, she has a 4 month old baby with down syndrome, a 17 year old daughter who is pregnant, and a husband who is an Alaskan fisherman... i'm not sure how well he could work from Washington... Am I a sexist if I think she should be at home with her family, not trying to fix the problems of the country? Well, I'm not completely certain, I do like her, but a 4 month old with special needs AND a seventeen year old with special needs... how is she ever going to do it? When I run for Vice President I hope that my youngest will at least be in kindergarten... A PLEA FOR YOUR THOUGHTS-- ok, enough of my random ramblings... here's what i need-- Anyone have a REAL way to start labor?? I'm not sure that I can let the 4th go by without some good effort... The best suggestion i have so far is to dehydrate myself... sounds kinda scary, but tempting... Keep in mind-- this is baby #6 and I have NEVER gone into labor without help from drugs... Do you have any great after-baby weight loss tips?? I'm not huge, and i never have a problem loosing weight, but this baby has brought me to numbers that I have never seen before... she better come out weighing at least 30 lbs or all those people who tell me that "it's all baby" will have been liars... Anyway, I'm definitely going to start some amazing diet/exercise routine when this baby comes...

oops... i'm accidently shopping online...

Yeah, we don't have a lot of money, with Todd in school, and i NEVER go shopping... But, school is starting and my bigger kids don't have hand-me-downs, so i've been looking around. (Plus, i'm nesting a bit so i have to do something or go insane...) 1. Children's place had some great deals... I got my boys long sleeve shirts for $5 each and sneakers for $5.99... And I got the cutest striped feety pj's for leah and the new baby... I'll have to take a picture cause seriously you want to eat leah up in her cute pjs... 2. Gymboree- I've really been coveting soft cotton dresses from Hanna Anderson... but to outfit all 4 of my girls it was just too much. I tried to order some $10 cotton dresses from Children's Place, but they are not the same-- thin t-shirt cotton instead of the thick, stretchy cotton you get from Hanna or Gymboree... surprisingly I found a really good deal at Gymboree... if you google gymboree coupons you can print out a 20% off your total order and they have Gymbucks, where if you spend $50 you get a coupon for $25 free gymbucks... And, who can compare in quality... Leah is still wearing adorable Gymboree clothes that were passed down from my sister, thru Anna and Ellie...

3. Finally, these jeans are from Gymboree... Lots of Dots collection... what a cute idea!! They have these capri's and just regular jeans with buttons sewed at the bottom... I'm totally going to COPY this idea... and, they have cute cardigans with colored buttons and cute henley shirts where they have random colored buttons... how cute-- it really makes a simple pair of jeans look a bit more stylish... This is my next project... well, after i get my house ready for a new baby...

what's 8 cm?...

So, I'm dialated to a 2, 50% effaced...

means nothing.

i think i'm always dialated to a 2...

baby #6-- i have never gone into labor on my own...

will this baby break the trend?

This morning I'm writing my TO DO BEFORE BABY list...

(You know that I LOVE to do lists) I had a transfusion yesterday--

I asked them to find me a strong, black man's blood--

today, i feel powerful (well, not really) but, if i didn't have this belly i bet i could run fast...

i HATE surprises- so, i think i'll plan on having this baby Sept. 15--

(that's the day they will induce me)

everynight when i go to bed i won't think about the possibility of waking up in a puddle of water...

everyday when i feel a contraction, i won't wonder if it has been 3 minutes since my last one,

and, i'm not going to constantly rework my "if i go into labor today i will send my kids to..." plan

in fact, i'm not even going to think about the possibility of going into labor on my own...

8 cm... it's a chasm...

oooh, was that another contraction... i better go to the bathroom to see if i'm leaking amniotic fluid... :)

stripes n' dots...

I made a bag... my very first real life bag- from this pattern!! (It just took me one night and was surprisingly fun and simple to make... I saw a quilt like this at the Material Girls Quilt shop in Utah, and I had to copy it... (here is the pattern if you want to buy it, i just saw a sample, i never actually saw the pattern.) This is a VERY easy quilt and it is SO FUN to make... you just need a front 45x45 and a back 45x45. Baste them together with the batting, then you sew strips of fabric and ric rac right to the front (just the sewing of the strips is your quilting). For binding, just cut 2 1/2 inch strips, iron them in half and sew them around the edges-- since this quilt is designed to fray it is SUPER EASY!! A great beginner project!! My sister-in-law Rebekah made two just like it out of Americana fabric-- they were adorable and fast. The first time you wash them you end up with a mess of strings, but after the second washing they are fine!! Anyway, so fun... every baby quilt i make may end up with frayed binding. :)

first day of school skirts...

My girls decided that they wanted something new to wear on the first day of school... so, we browsed through my fabric and came up with these lovely creations... i copied some skirts i saw on this website- here -- honestly, hers are still cuter (and, i love the quilt she made). i just measured the girls and cut rectangles of fabric-- smaller for the top and gathered for the bottom-- with an elastic waist. EASY!! I did have to alter them a few times, I tend to make them too big and had to keep cutting them smaller. Ellie cried because she wanted to wear her skirt again on the second day of school... they LOVE that the skirts are long. And, as i've told you before, my girls would wear a skirt everyday of their lives...

words of wisdom:: 1 Enzio Busche

Todd and I are reading the book, Yearning for the Living God, by F. Enzio Busche. My sister-in-law, Lanette, let me read a copy of a speech by the same man entitled, Unleashing the Dormant Spirit. I keep trying to quote him to other people so i thought i'd just post them... the whole talk is amazing (if you click on the title it should link to it)... here are a few of my favorite words of wisdom-- -The pain of sacrifice lasts only one moment. It is the fear of the pain of sacrifice that makes you hesitate to do it. -When you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also that as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better. -Never judge anyone. When you accept this, you will be freed. In the case of your own children or subordinates, where you have the responsibility to judge, help them to become their own judges. -First and foremost, you are a spirit child of God. If you neglect to feed your spirit, you will reap unhappiness. Don't permit anything to detract you from this awareness. -When you are physically sick, tired, or in despair, steer your thoughts away from yourself and direct them, in gratitude and love toward God. these are all sooo true...

Lanette told me my mother-in-law's saying,

"Life by the inch is a cinch, but life by the yard is hard."

Thanks Net for the words of wisdom for this week...

I think I'll take my life one inch at a time...

Back to School!!!

What a LOVELY morning!!

I'm definitely a pro-school momma...

Everyone is dressed, fed and happy and it is only 7:20 am...

Is it bad that i don't cry when Ellie starts Kindergarten?

Ellie with Mrs. Hagood, Kindergarten

Anna with Ms. Teague, 1st grade Drew with Mrs. Dennis, 3rd Grade Jakob with Ms. Alexander, 4th grade

lotsa cousins...

waterpark anyone?

on the road again...

yeah... we're off to the land of the potato... good ole' Idaho. i think it's a 24 hour drive... with potty breaks and sanity stops and that's just cause I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant... the kids should be fine... we once got pulled over for speeding... all five of the kids were screaming... the cop just smiled and said, "thanks for keeping them in their carseats, be careful..." no ticket!! honestly, i think he just didn't want to hear all the racket while he wrote the ticket out...

oh, i have come to appreciate Emma's courage in deciding NOt to head west...

i LOVE road trips!!! I LOVE road trips... I LOVE road trips...

a tech quilt for todd (and brobergs)...

I sewed two of these quilts, one for us and one for good friends of ours, the Brobergs, who are moving to Kansas next week... i had to be careful what i posted about the quilt cause i was afraid that they might see my blog... anyway, we just had our "till we meet again" dinner and gave them the quilt... i wanted to get a picture with them holding the quilt, but i forgot... oh well... it's cute, but still red and black...

it's sad saying goodbye, but i'm so glad to know that someday we may be finishing this program, we may be moving and we might actually get a paycheck bigger than the debt we aquire each month...

GUNS UP!! GO RED RAIDERS!!

NOTE- I originally ended my post with Go Raiders!! Todd explained that i needed to add, the Guns Up and Go RED raiders to be accurate...

i'm NOT sewing a dallas cowboy quilt next, don't worry...

joy cometh in the morning...

NO-- I DIDN'T GO INTO LABOR YET...

Just remembering back...

Sorry, i'm off to another day of blood transfusions...
honestly- they aren't that bad, but it always helps for me to infuse my brain with adorable memories before i head out...
soooo sweet! this is leah... her birth was difficult... we had just moved to Lubbock, she was emergency c-section, and she had to stay in NICU for a week...

but look how sweet... it was worth it!!

Can you believe that i'm going to have a sweet baby again soon???!!!

Today i like the names Lucy Kate, Sophia Rose or Ava Grace...

oh, i can hardly wait...

Yeah... I'm Cranky Today!

1- 3 hr OB appointment on Tuesday-- they measured my belly and said i was fine

1- 45 minute appointment for lab work on Wednesday-- they took 2 viles of blood (lost one so i had to get it redrawn at my appointment today)

4- pediatric appointments this morning (from 9:30am-12pm) 3 shots (Anna and Jakob) and my kids are all fine

1- blood doctor appointment today it maybe lasted an hour and a half... this is where i had to get my blood redrawn so they can match it for tomorrow...

110- dollars to fill my Suburban with gas after i ran out of gas today and Todd had to come rescue me

6- at least 6 hours of blood transfusions tomorrow while my kids are at friend's houses

1- one more doctor's appointment on Monday... this time it's with the dentist for a tooth that i chipped last weekend...

I'M SOOOOOO SICK OF DOCTORS!!!

you probably don't want to call me today-- I'm CRANKY!!

5 little monkeys...

5 little monkeys jumping on the bed...

(i'm surprised none fell off and broke their head...)

(this is our amazing split-second photography...)
so the kids thought they were hilarious...

they each put on 6 or 7 of Todd's shirts and had an enjoyable time posing as gangsters... saying,

"i'm a fat guy and i like my pie."

(after an unfortunate incident where leah felt that the kids were trying to strangle her inside one of daddy's shirts- she would have nothing to do with them- thus the naked baby in the middle of the bunch, with the somewhat hesitant expression...)

Todd and I actually couldn't help laughing and they did succeed in postponing bedtime by 30 minutes...

ahh... summer moments...

Bakerella Moss...

i'm an OK cook... i'm fine with meat,veggies, rolls and pie... but honestly- i stink at cookies.

Todd and i have tried many, many recipes... people deliver perfect cookies to us, we get their recipe and YUCKO- flat, ugly cookies. even Martha Stewart's recipe for perfect chocolate chip cookies let us down...

My sister-in-law gave me a recipe the other day on the phone and they actually turned out good--- they were fluffy when i got them out of the oven, not flat!!

Since Rebekah lives in Italy, i guess these are--

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES...

(much like the Utah Chocolate Chip Cookies that her mother makes...)

1 c. butter (softened not melted)

1 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. white sugar

2 eggs

Beat the above ingredients till VERY fluffy... (it really does puff up... so fun!)

Add...

1tsp. vanilla

2 1/4c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda (optional)

1/2 tsp. salt

Beat A LOT... till super fluffy...

mix in chocolate chips and bake at 375* for 10 minutes...

She says she freezes her cookies right out of the oven and then pulls them out to eat whenever she wants one-- they stay fresh that way...

MMMMMM... so yummy!!!

who knows, maybe next month I'll be teaching Martha...

note- i realize that the cookies i made are nothing to brag about, but allow me a moment of glory, you have no idea what my cookies usually look like!!

Todd walked in from school and saw the cookies on the counter... "Jen" he said in a surprised voice, "Did YOU make these cookies?"

recycling...

These are my boys..

ALWAYS rough housing--

They played with these soda bottles for an hour, choreographing war moves...

Leah was watching the boys, then she walked over to the recycle bin and i heard, "Oh, YEAH!!"

she found her own weapon and went to join the battle...
Fun RECYCLING Moments

puppy dog tails...

the front
the back snips and snails and puppy dog tails...

isn't this the cutest little boy quilt you have seen?

Grey made it, and i quilted and bound it...

I LOVE the brown and blue combo--

it makes me want another little boy...

joyland...

Get READY... Get SET...
GO!!!!-- (can you see leah between the boys?)
waiting in line...
sweet sisters...
so fun...
cute daddy...
say cheese!!
as anna would say,
"Joy- Land, get it... it's on land and it gives you joy..."
NOTE: Jen was there... but had the camera the whole night.
We only lost anna and ellie once, don't worry, they weren't scared at all, they were "just looking at the rides". Leah cried every ride she was too small to ride, and jen cried every ride she was too pregnant to ride...