Belly photo shoot...

So, I have never had "maternity" pictures taken before...I always thought I don't want to remember how big I actually get when I am pregnant!! But, this time around, I decided that I kind of do want to remember how amazing it is to have your stomach stretch out so far because there is a new little life in there...So my friend Sam came over on Saturday and offered to take some....

Now, here is my disclaimer:

This post contains pictures of my stretch-marked, many veined, and very hot stomach that started to develop red splotches in the 90+ degree heat....though I did make some black and white to try and mask that :)

Monday Memory: Helen Williams 1921-2000

Nine years ago, I was sitting on my sister's couch feeding my baby Caleb, then 3 months old. I remember looking up at the clock and it was around 11:30 a.m., 1:30 Evansville time, and wondering what was happening back there. My Grandma was terminal with cancer and we had already said our goodbyes to her on the phone.
Not much later, Mom called, telling us she had died...right around 11:30 our time...

It is hard to believe I haven't had this woman in my life for the last nine years. I have had two more children since then, and another on the way. I think about how she would love watching my kids play and teaching them card games or yahtzee. She would probably make chocolate chips with them. It really makes me sad to think they will never know her.

She was widowed at the age of 54 when my Grandpa died of cancer. She found a job,bought her own house and car (a '77 Chevy Nova that didn't even have 100,000 miles on it when she died) When my mom and her siblings were growing up, she ironed for other people so she could send the kids to Catholic school. She had to bury her third child, Jim, after he drowned at the age of 16. And she was a woman who loved the Lord. She was up early every morning reading her bible, and then on to church.

My Grandma was my favorite person growing up. When we lived near her in Indiana, I loved it when it was my turn to spend the night with her and then go to work with her. She was a cook at the rectory for the priests of her church. They all loved her, and her cooking. (somehow that gene missed me)

Grandma taught me how to play cards, and loved Yahtzee. We would go over to her friends' houses and play games. She loved to dance and would take me with her...and she loved to bowl. She was a fun person to be around.

After we moved to Florida, I would spend my summers with her, and when I went away to college, I chose to go back to Evansville so I could live with her. She was the first person I told when Mike proposed to me. (I was living with her) She told us "you remind me of me and Grandpa."

She would giggle when I would get something in the mail from Mike after missing him so much. She would get aggravated at me when I wouldn't keep up my end of the deal of living with her, and my room would be messy. She couldn't tell a joke without giggling at herself half way through, and always made me laugh.

I often wonder what she would think about me now, nine years older, soon to be a mom of four, just like she was. I hope she would be proud of me. I would love to have her over for coffee and a game of Kings Corners, I think I will teach it to my kids today...

I love you, Gram and I miss you...

Week in Review...A week of firsts...

It has been really busy around here, and most of it has gone on while Mike has been on what his work calls "hell week." That would be three 12 hour day shifts into three 12 hour night shifts...we don't see much of him during this week. That, and he was putting the finishing touches on hosting a big concert Thursday night.

Sunday started with the Flag Day parade. It was Elisa's first time in a parade. She is now old enough to be in American Heritage Girls with Rebekah, so they both marched representing AHG. Caleb was with the Cub Scouts. It was hot, to say the least. And they had to line up an hour early, and then wait a half an hour to start walking. By the time they got to me at the end of the parade, Elisa was holding Bess and Laurel's hands and smiling, Bekah looked at me like she may kill me for ever putting her in a parade...

Afterwards, we went to my sister, Beth's house and celebrated my niece, Maggie's birthday...

Monday started way too early for Caleb and I. He was going to day camp at Wesley Woods for the first time. We had to get up a little after 7 (very early for us), finish his paperwork, make sure he had everything in his backpack and head over to Sarah's, who, thankfully, took Caleb with her kids over to the camp.

I spent the day with the girls trying to find my way back through my living room. We had had new carpeting put in the kids rooms the Friday before, and were preparing to put the girls in the same room for the first time. So, I organized, threw away, and sorted through all things girl trying to figure out how to make this work. (still working on that)

When Caleb came home he said he had a great day but wanted to go to bed on time that night. Not five minutes later, Bekah came up to me and said, "C is for Caleb, and Caleb is asleep in my closet." Sure enough, he was passed out on the floor...

Tuesday, Elisabeth came over to help me clean. When she walked in the front door and saw the living room she said, "I'm leaving." We ended up sitting in the very clean, now little boy room folding clothes, while the girls were at a play date. Tuesday was also the first night the girls slept in the same room. Elisa had declared it "not fair" that her daybed was in Bekah's room, and she was sleeping on a mattress on the floor of her "old room" Surprisingly, they did a great job....

Wednesday, Bekah had her seven year check up...sigh...she is very healthy, for which I am thankful...and very tall for her age. She also decided to pull her first loose tooth on the top...her smile is forever changed.

Thursday, we had piano in the morning, and then the girls had another play date...I spent the time alone going to Walmart and and getting a cheescake ready for my friend Adele's baby shower, which I could not attend. Why could I not attend it? Because it was Feed Your Faith's first concert of the year! And it was so awesome! Decyfer Down, DecembeRadio, and Sanctus Real all played. It was a stressful week for Mike, but he did such a great job, it all came together, and they are estimating over 750 people were there! I got to help at the product tables, and watch via the tv screes in the lobby since I couldn't be in the sanctuary with little boy on board right now. Oh, and a very worn out Caleb came with me...he is the cutest at concerts...he just loves it!

Friday, we all tried to recoop from Thursday. Mike slept in, after having been awake for 36 hours the day before, going from a night shift to the church to get everything set up for the concert...

Which leads me to today...we (and by we I mean Mike) put up the new closet system in the girls' closet...and I must say he did a phenomenal job! Armed with level and drills and screwdrivers, he helped get the girls a little more organized...now hopefully I will find my living room floor again...

Tonight we went to the kids awards ceremony for baseball where Caleb was given MVP of his team, and had been nominated for most Christ-like for the season....Elisa got her first trophyand Bekah broke hers minutes after receiving it....

Next week...VBS and all the fun that comes with that!!

Guest Post---Mother's Day from Mike's point of view...

...ok, so I have been thinking alot about the "miserable, hospital post" and I wanted to take the time to write "what REALLY happened"!!!

It all started with my plans for a wonderful Mother's Day. I had to work on The Day, so I did some serious planning for a VERY memorable post Mother's Day week. Here are all the things I did for Donna. After reading this, I'm sure you will agree that I went above and beyond!

• I took Donna out to dinner with the family at a fabulous restaurant!
• I arranged for her parents to come over to the house and watch the kids after dinner.
• I reserved her a WONDERFUL room with a view of the Smokey Mountains for a 5 day retreat.
• She was served EVERY meal in bed for the entire duration of her stay.
• She had a bed all to herself...adjustable to sit up and lie down I might add.
• No one ever complained about the 120 straight hours of HGTV.
• I arranged to have a personal servant respond immediately every time she pressed the red button next to her bed.
• Personal leg massagers were provided to lovingly rub her calves.
• I got her lingerie, including fancy robe and panties.
• I arranged, via e-mail, for flowers to be delivered to her bedside.
• I took care of getting the kids transported to baseball games, classes, etc as well as having child care provided for her entire stay at her "sanctuary".
• Because of all the "planning" I did, she had dinner's delivered to her home for 2 weeks after returning home from her Mother's Day retreat.

Now...who wouldn't want a Mother's Day like that? I think I did a fantastic job!

And that, my friends, is the rest of the story.

Mike