A day in the life....

seven.

2011-09-03T06:46:00.000-05:00

Well....for most of you, this may be a recap. I was looking at the ol' blog and saw that it had been MARCH since I last updated....HOLY COW! (I AM really bad at this.....) ;)

Since our last recap, we have added a new Lamson. Joy Magnolia was born at home, on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 8:03pm. She was one of the big ones....8 and a half pounder. We had a water birth and it was EVERYTHING I dreamed it would be. <3

School has started and Jack is now a proud member of Katy ISD. Being that we moved last year and decided not to pay extra a school year to keep Juliana at Golbow Elementary, she and Jack had the "pleasure" of starting a new school. IIIIIII, on the other hand, am not so thrilled or impressed with the new school. But I know my kids will blow them out of the water, academically.

Jacie is....well, Jacie. She is the big sister around here now. She thinks she runs the place while Juliana and Jack are at school. Oh boy....she is going to be a tough one to curb. ;)

Jonah is walking and has been since May. He is just in to EVERYTHING now. And I am SO glad!

Jeremiah has been busy. With two jobs. God really blessed us the past couple months. He is considered a "scientist" at his new job, Arcadis/Malcom Pirne. He tests soil samples and does other things with big, fancy, scientific descriptions. And he LOVES it! He was also offered a paid position with West I-10 FD - which is a huge help and allows him to do what he loves!

I....well, I am just trying to take it a day at a time. There are struggles and joys through out my day and even though I may wish for another life for one split second, I wouldn't trade my chaotic life for anything in the world!

my {security} "blankie".

2011-03-23T14:43:00.000-05:00

Things I am LOVING today are:

*Grape kool-aid. I made some today for the kiddos at lunch time and I think I am on my third glass now. Bringin' it back old school.

*Pandora. I was listening to the Laura Story station - after a very stressful morning and I was COMPLETELY uplifted with praise and worship.

This song is one that I have been leaning on all week. The video is kind of cheesy but just close your eyes and meditate on the song...

Blessings - Laura Story

And FINALLY....

*Jeremiah. Today has been one that I don't want to repeat tomorrow. It was full of stress, sobbing, boredom. Jeremiah has been traveling to Austin four days a week for work so I have been a "single mom" in the sense that it's just me for 4 days. This week, I have had to deal with somethings that have been, somewhat, an inconvenience. I have had to deal with the electric company, water company, phone company - with children in tow, a possible car inspection and temporary plate trip, painting a bathroom, etc, etc. This afternoon, in the middle of painting the kids' bathroom, our power sporadically went out. This was the push over the cliff. Tears began to rush down my face, breathing increased, a feeling of overwhelming stress came over me.

I called Jeremiah. No answer. I texted him - three times to be exact. He called me back right away but I was sobbing so hard I couldn't pick up the phone. So he called again. (I could hear exactly what he was saying as the phone rang on his end.."Why isn't she answering?" "She never has her phone on her." "I hope the house isn't on fire....")

But....surprisingly, he was calm and soothing. Like a security blanket of a two year old toddler. He is my "blankie". Not only did he call me in the middle of his hands on job (I think he was turning off water to the toilet?) but he calmed me down almost instantly. He asked questions like, "What did you have for breakfast? lunch?", "What color blue are you painting the bathroom? Can you compare it to something I am familiar with?"

I was calm and collected. He reassured me that everything was okay. He was patient with me through all of my sobs. He was concerned. He was loving. He was my security blankie wrapped around me during a thunderstorm.

All the way from Austin. <3

hiatus is {over}.

2011-03-22T20:23:00.000-05:00

I'm back!

It's been a long and winding road since I have last logged on here. I am hoping that as part of my own personal "therapy", I can get my blog back up and running.

Of course, I will fill you in on the wonders that are my children but I will be going at this blog thing with a different approach. Each day, Monday through Friday, will have themes to which I will follow: Menu Monday, Tackle It Tuesday, Wedded Bliss Wednesday, Toddler Trials Thursday and Faith Friday.

We will see how it goes!

So folks, I welcome you to: Tackle It Tuesday!

I found this idea from a web blog that I came across today.... www.5minutesformom.com. I was in DIRE need of some motivation after the morning I had and I couldn't have been more happy to cross paths with this internet gold mine.

SO: As part of "Tackle It Tuesday" - my project for this week is all things kids' bathroom.

When we moved into our house, if definitely needed a heaping dose of TLC. The walls were all drab white, kitchen cabinets half stained, flower beds....were not too flower like.....you can say that this house needed a little love. :)

So, since September, we have taken on one room at a time, one wall color at a time, one fixture at a time. And I would say that the kids bathroom is up to bat.

We decided that we wanted this bathroom to be fun and silly....just like our kiddos. SO, we decided to go with this Alex Moody Monsters theme:

Don't these adorable little monsters look just like MY adorable little monsters?!?!

This evening, I began taping the edges and floorboards of the bathroom and will hopefully start painting tomorrow at nap time. (Keep your fingers crossed for me.)

(Updates to come next Tuesday!)

Uncle Ben is staying for a while....

2010-07-17T08:14:00.001-05:00

No, we don't have an actual "Uncle Ben"..... BUT we have saved some "Uncle Ben's" during my shopping trips this week. Like, MAJORLY saved.

I'm not sure how to describe it other than a "coupon hoarding, club card loading, double/tripling coupon, save, save, saving" game. It has completely consumed my shopping experience.

It take MUCH preparation - and by that I mean less sleep (I was up until 4am only to get up at 6am to go shopping before Jer went to work.) and more clipping and research. (My google search bar is my best friend....)

SO: Here is how I saved with this trip.

Regular price: $48.00

(9) boxes of GM cereal

(4) boxes of Betty Crocker Fruit Snack

(3) Nature Valley Granola Bars

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Randall's was having a 'Buy 4 boxes of GM cereal, Get $4 off instantly AND one free box of Nature Valley Granola Bars.')

Here's what I spent.

Honey Nut Cheerios - $1.99 ($.75 off coupon)

(2) Cinnamon Toast Crunch - $1.99 ea. - ($.60 off coupon and $.55 off coupon. In ADDITION to a $1 off 2 boxes of GM cereal.)

Cocoa Puffs and Trix Cereals - $1.99 ($1 off 2 boxes of GM cereal)

I had an in-store coupon from a previous shopping trip for $2 off of any 5 boxes of GM cereal.

With the purchase of (4) cereals I got (1) box of Nature Valley Granola Bars for FREE. On my shopping card, I uploaded a $.50 e-coupon which was taken off of my free granola bars and Randall's also honored my $.50 off coupon and even doubled it. (SO - I got $1.50 off of my purchase....)

Bringing my total to: $2.24

Kroger is running a "Buy 10, get $5 off" special on select items. Here is what I snagged:

(4) Tombstone pizzas - $2.49 ea. (I had (4) $2 off coupons which made them $.49 each)

(1) pack of hot dogs - $.89 each

(13) Kraft Easy Macs - $.50 each

(2) Miracle Whip Squeeze Bottles - $1.67 ea. (I had (2) $1 off coupons, which made them $.67 each)

(10) Suave Deodorants - $1 each. ( I had (10) $.50 off coupons - Kroger doubles up to $.50 coupons, which meant I got all 10 for FREE.)

Bringing my total to: $10.71

(Probably would have been cheaper if my children didn't LOVE mac n' cheese so much....) :)

pierced.

2010-07-12T21:41:00.000-05:00

Here at the Lamson house, we have put into place a "Chore Chart" and each day; Juliana, Jack and Jacie have certain chores they are responsible for. ( I LOVE this system for the sheer fact that it is a lighter work load for mommy!)

Juliana came to Jer and I at the beginning of the week and asked if she could get her ears pierced. So....we responded, "SURE!" But you must earn it....

As you can see, she did a great job this week!

This is before she got pierced.

Marking the exact spots for her earrings.

Just a little pinch....

VIOLA!! Finished product....and she didn't even flinch...ONCE!

I look at the picture above and all I see is that sweet, little 6 month old baby face. How on earth did she grow up SO fast?!?! And what was I doing???

freedom.

2010-07-05T21:53:00.001-05:00

Yesterday marked our sixth 4th of July as a clan. We were able to spend it with some great friends and some great food...... (mmmmm.....burgers.)

So- here are some quick highlights:

Jack has a jumping good time on the trampoline....we probably should change his name to "Jumpin' Jack Flash". He is my hamball. From the moment I stepped outside with my camera aimed for shooting, Jack would pose in a different way each jump....and each pose even more exaggerated than the last. This one is my favorite....

Jonah had a great first fourth of July. However, not quite sure he was too interested in anything but food, multiple stinky diapers for mom and having in-depth conversations with daddy.

If pictures are worth a million words...than I should be a millionaire. I am still trying to wrap my head around why Juliana was so scared of this sparkler - I know she had experience with them in the past. I would like to believe that it is because Jeremiah is a firefighter and the kiddos we WELL educated on fire safety. This is still priceless. :)

My Jacie girl. Adventurous little Jacie. I lost count how many times she tried to poke her brother (and mom) with this lit sparkler but she had a BLAST. ;)

freedom.

I take for granted EVERY minute of every day how lucky we are to have freedom. Not only in our country but with our heavenly Father. Thank you Jesus for giving me freedom.

P.S. - On a side note, Jeremiah had a MAJOR fire that his station responded to. Here is the video news story.

rain, rain {come and stay.}

2010-07-03T12:25:00.000-05:00

I do realize that from last post to this post, we have dealt with two COMPLETELY extreme weather conditions... and for that I apologize Poppy. :)

Katy had some crazy storms this past week. Hurricane Alex rolled through Mexico/Southern Texas and we got hit with the thunder and downpour of it all. (Which was a FANTASTIC thing!)

Yesterday afternoon, Juliana and I left home on a mission: All things rain boots.

Here is what we found:

We had a blast playing in the rain before dinner. And there were puddles, streams, raindrops GALORE.

Jeremiah had the camera while I joined in on the fun!

Needless to say, dinner was quiet and bedtime was easy. ;)

....and snow it did.

2009-12-05T15:52:00.004-05:00

After lunch time, the itty bitty snow flakes turned into big, fat, fluffy snowflakes.

I rushed around the house trying to gather warm layers for the kids..... I had this huge fear that the snow would stop in the blink of an eye and the kiddos would miss out.

As you can see, I was a little under prepared....no gloves. We just weren't expecting this kind of weather - you better believe I will be going out today to grab some mittens!

The minute Jacie stepped of the front step - she was having a blast with her hands reaching for the sky the whole time!

Jack, on the other hand, wasn't too keen about being cold.

Jacie was ALL over the place - even the neighbor's front yard.

Here is the front of our house. The roof is covered - the yard still green from our shady oak trees.

Within two hours everything was melted. It was a nice reminder of home. :)

let it snow.

2009-12-04T12:22:00.008-05:00

Texas had it's first snowfall today. Started this morning when Jer was getting ready for work. At that point, you could tell it was snow if you stood outside and squinted your eyes really tight and even then, the only reason you knew it was snowing is because you could feel it on your face.

A little after breakfast, Jacie was sitting in her highchair and all I heard was, "UH-OH!" I am thinking, "great, another mess for me to clean up..." but as I walk into the kitchen, she is pointing out the back door at the snow.

(You can barely see it, so I circled it. And you can still hardly see it...)

Jack wanted a closer look, so he opened the door.

Right now, as I am blogging this, the snow is coming down steadily, to the point that it is big, fat snowflakes and trying to stick.

Current temp:40.8 degrees

Juliana's school called to let us know that because of "deteriorating conditions", school will be dismissed at 1:40pm.

Fun fact: My 'gmail' email account is set up so that the background of my inbox is the current weather condition. Right now, there is snow....something I haven't seen since we last lived in Cleveland.

Happy half snow day!!!

Thankful.

2009-12-03T11:13:00.007-05:00

First:

I am thankful for: Jesus. a healthy family. motherhood. parents that love us. grams and poppy. a source of income when others are struggling. a roof over our heads. food in our bellies. clothes on our backs. Lucy. FCR. dvr. sunshine. leaves changing colors - YES, here in Texas!strong coffee in the morning. Juliana's growing mind. Jack being potty trained. Jacie's childlike spirit. Jonah's sweet, sweet smiles. Jeremiah's unconditional love. PHOTOGRAPHY. friends. a baby that sleeps through the night. coats. a warm bed. running water. a loving home.

just a few things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Now onto other business..... I now present the many faces of Juliana, Jack, Jacie and Jonah:

These are the things that make me smile. :)

down on the farm.

2009-11-24T15:36:00.005-05:00

I love pumpkins. So much that I enjoy taking the family to the farm to look at them.

One of my favorite things about fall time is big, bright, orange pumpkins. Last year we learned our lesson. Instead of Dewberry Farm (which is comparable to Mapleside Farms - to all of you Ohio-ans out there) we went to some puny, muddy, small pumpkin patch...and we can see why it was FREE to get in.

However, this year, we splurged on admission and it was SO worth it.

Jacie on the hayride:

Jeremiah and Jonah. I just LOVE this.

There was ALL kinds of things for the kids to do! Corn maze, hayride, playground, rubber duck races, entertainment, pumpkin patch, some kind of barrel swing and hanging ropes so your kids could jump into huge mounds of hay! (Every parents worst nightmare!! ) :)

Definitely worth doing next year!!

Czapski Zebras.

2009-11-17T15:09:00.004-05:00

About two weeks ago, Juliana had her first ever Field Day. :) They were the green team - the Czapski Zebras!

Jeremiah so graciously came home in the middle of his work day so that I could go up to the school and get pictures of this momentous occasion. :)

Water break:

500 yard dash...or something of that nature:

Cheering her friends on:

This is just the beginning. Pretty soon it will be soccer games. Then play practice. Then professional football.

(Lets hope not that extreme.)

Saving the moolah.

2009-11-12T10:29:00.004-05:00

I am SO excited about this learning gem!

This year, Jeremiah and I wanted to get Juliana something "useful" and not something that would end up in pieces in every corner of her room. Being that she started school and is SO excited about learning, we researched learning tools and found our winner.

The Leapfrog Didj Gaming System.

Well, today I did some homework and we found out that we will be saving BIG. No, HUGE. No....GINORMOUS.

This gaming system is originally $89.99. Leapfrog.com is having a $30 off sale which brings it down to $59.99. That's all fine and dandy but I can do better... I found a leapfrog coupons link which will give me FREE SHIPPING (an $8.95 savings) AND 20% off (a $12 savings!)

Which brings my grand total to $51.49....tax included.

I LOVE saving $47.45. :)

Inferno.

2009-11-09T11:02:00.007-05:00

For the past couple months, Jeremiah has been pursuing his dream. He has been attending meetings and various training with the West I-10 Volunteer Fire department. I love this. He is beaming with pride every time he comes home. He has made a few buddies and has even gone on a call or two -(cough, cough) fire at Starbucks....don't worry, no one was harmed. :)

Jeremiah will be completing his training by the 2nd week of December and will be able to become a "real" firefighter (and by this, I mean HANDS ON, not observing.) Jeremiah will be receiving his radio and from there, the fun begins!

As for now, Jeremiah is still working at our church and with the Cordes'. He will be eligible to apply for day shift (paid position) in 6 months to a year. (YAY!!)

This pic just melts my heart. True definition of "hero". Juliana's eyes lit up when she saw her daddy in full gear. She is SO proud to say that her daddy drives a fire truck. :)

She had a blast trying on Jer's uniform.

Jack is obsessed with Jer's helmet...

Kids....they are SO curious about everything...

Okay, okay...I had a little fun getting to play honorary firefighter for a couple minutes... :)

Love.....

2009-11-06T06:59:00.006-05:00

Four years ago, today, I changed my life - until the day I will go be with Jesus. Juliana's life changed. My role in society and my social life had changed. From that day forward I would become a wife. We would add on to our family. We would change residency FIVE times. Jeremiah would start his fire department journey (a post on that subject - soon to come...) It had been a crazy ride and I wouldn't change ANY minute of it!

So, here is to another four years, and four after that, and four after that, and four after that......(you get the picture.)

Fall In Texas.

2009-11-05T22:35:00.009-05:00

Autumn. I LOVE autumn.

I miss Cleveland this time of year. I miss the colors....by this part of the year, one seems to get sick of green really quickly.

We got a glimpse of fall in our back yard this past week. As I was having some one on one time with little Jonah, I happened to look up at our big arch window in the family room and saw one, two...no three little red leaves! :)

Here is our very GREEN key lime tree. (Well, the limes are looking a little yellow at this point. They are probably WAY confused by the weather - it has been averaging 50's at night and upper 70's during the day....today was 78 degrees.....

Oh my sweet, not so little pumpkin....we decided to have a little fun in the front yard with just one adventurous little girl, two pumpkins and mommy's camera.

Oh well, we may not have a big autumn but at least we have BIG pumpkins! :)

Photo Shoot.

2009-10-29T13:15:00.007-05:00

This morning as Jonah and I were relaxing on the couch, I noticed he was especially "smiley". I got a few shots with my phone and then I ran for my camera. If I am going to captures these heart warming grins, might as well do it right!

By the time I got everything ready for my Jonah "photo shoot" he was way over being that super smiley little bug. Now he was just ho-hum.

I still got some good shots out of it! :)

bored:

curious:

naked:

Forgive Me.

2009-10-27T15:29:00.003-05:00

Here are quite a few posts for your reading enjoyment.

I know I said I would be consistent with this blog...but who knew that a school ager, two toddlers and a newborn would keep you so busy! :)

Six.

2009-10-27T15:19:00.010-05:00

Happy birthday my sweet, sweet girl.

Juliana has a fun filled sixth birthday. On Friday night, we celebrated with Grammy and Tom. On Saturday, we went to a friend's birthday party at a gymnasium....lots and lots of fun to be had! On Sunday, Juliana and daddy when to dinner and then to a movie - "Where the Wild Things Are." (She was absolutely glowing when she got home.) And on Wednesday, Juliana and mommy went to get haircuts and dinner.

Here is my special girl with her very boring birthday cake. (It's what she wanted. ) :)

Juliana with a few presents from mommy and daddy.

again.

Scott washing her hair - very relaxing experience.

cut.

blow dry.

itchy face.

beautiful. <3

Caramel Apples.

2009-10-27T15:08:00.006-05:00

I love fall. It is by far my favorite time of the year....crisp air (not so much here until Feb.), foliage (not so much here unless it is summer and the leaves are changing colors because they are dying), pumpkin ANYTHING (yes, we still have pumpkins here in Tejas). I miss Cleveland around this time of the year....

Juliana had off for Columbus day and we decided to make it a fall day! We painted leaves, made pumpkins out of play-doh and made caramel apples!

We went out for a walk to try to find sticks to put in the apples instead of popsicle sticks - saw it in a magazine....well here is what Juliana found:

(That was the extent of sticks....they were itty, bitty twigs. So daddy went out back and cut down a small branch and we sectioned off four sticks for our apples.)

Juliana is unwrapping the caramels:

Finished product:

(The un-caramelized apple is daddy's. He wanted to dip his apple instead. :) )

Grilled Cheese and Bacon.

2009-10-27T14:56:00.009-05:00

My friend Tammy is the BEST. She is from Tennessee. She LOVES Starbucks. And she feeds her family bacon every other day, if not every. LOVE her. Well, she has these famous grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches, the kind that just looking at them will literally clog your arteries. And...she made them for us!! :)

Holy bacon, batman!

Sandwiches in the works.

Welcome to Texas! Jeremiah's FIRST legal shotgun. :)

"Bacon makes me want to shoot stuff.." - Sheriff Lamson.

"Bacon makes me want to fight crime and protect the innocent." -Super hero Jack.

"The smell of bacon makes me sleepy." - Sleepy Jonah

"Bacon makes me thirsty." - Three juice boxes Jacie.

I should also point out that the first bacon Jacie has ever had was introduced by Tammy. Way to be an enabler Tammy, way to go. :)

Jonah.

2009-10-27T14:47:00.007-05:00

When they say "time flies when you're having fun", they aren't kidding. I cant believe how HUGE my little guy is!

7 weeks, 3 days:

8 weeks, 4 days:

2 months, 1 day:

Where on earth did the time go??

Home Sweet Home.

2009-10-27T14:37:00.009-05:00

The Lamsons packed up shop and moved to a new casa two weeks before Jonah was born and Juliana started school. Here are some pics of the place we call home. :)

Front door:

Den:

Dining Room:

Family Room from den:

Other view of family room:

Kitchen:

Kitchen from back door:

We LOVE this house! One story, quiet street with cul-de-sac and LOTS of shady trees. :)

Jack's THIRD Birthday.

2009-10-27T14:26:00.005-05:00

My Jack turned three(!) on September 6th.... Here is a photo collection of a few highlights on his special day. :)

Birthday waffle: chocolate chips and whipped cream included.

Jack has been WAY into 'Yo Gabba Gabba" as of late. The show consists of five semi-scary, semi-friendly alien, creatures and one super flamboyant DJ -DJ Lance Rock, with a boom box. Here is mommy's rendition of Yo Gabba Gabba....

GP, this van reminded me of you.... and Jack was SO excited to add Filmore to his collection. :)

Happy birthday big boy! :)

School Days.

2009-08-25T22:08:00.005-05:00

Well. It happened. The one day I have been dreading and looking forward to all summer. The first day of school.

Our little Anna Banana started her first day of Kindergarten yesterday and it was just as hard as I thought it would be.

Day started off normal. Breakfast. Hair brushed. Get dressed. That's when I lost it. As I was pulling Juliana's shirt over her head I broke down in tears. My little girl was leaving the nest(not literally....) but she was off to broaden her mind and become that super intelligent Kindergartner that will be recommended for the third grade by the second week of the school year....

By this point, I was okay. The crying had ceased. It wasn't until we walked into the school that the waterworks started up again. Once Juliana noticed that I was crying, she began to cry. Not the "It's the END of the world, someone stole my cookie, Jack pulled my Barbie's head off" cry but the "maybe if I pretend that I am fixing my hair, lets look at the ceiling, is my shoe untied" cry. It was the kind of cry that kills a mom, the silent cry with BIG, fat tears.

Of course Jeremiah had sent me out of the classroom so that he could try to settle our little scholar. Needless to say, mommy was the one who needed to be settled.

Day two was WAY easier. She rode the school bus for the first time EVER today.

Once the bus pulled up and the bus driver opened the doors, she looked to me for the okay. I told her it was okay, kissed her goodbye and reminded her to sit on her bucket the whole way to school.

My little girl was starting a new chapter in her life. One that will educate her, open doors and broaden horizons. We know that she will do an awesome job this year. Maybe my tears were that of a proud parent - because I couldn't be more proud of her.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

Jonah Marley Lamson.

2009-08-22T14:49:00.008-05:00

We welcomed our second little man, Jonah Marley, into the family on Tuesday, August 18th at 3:39am. Jonah was 7lbs, 5oz and 20 in long.

Both baby and mom are doing well. Big sisters and brother are loving their new little bro!

GP - Kids miss you so much and talk about you at least 10 times a day! We wished you could have been here!

Poppy and Grams - kids can't wait to see you next spring! :)

Hiatus.

2009-07-20T10:57:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the time span in between posts. There are a couple following this post that were just added today.

Happy reading! :)

Jack and His Chopped Mop.

2009-07-20T10:42:00.009-05:00

Last Wednesday, we took Jack for his first real hair cut. Our friend Scott, from church, is a hairdresser and we wanted to take Jack to someone we trusted. After all, good haircuts are important when you're a kid - it eliminates the possibility of blackmail when you're older. :)

When we got there, Jack started to get a little nervous and well...started to freak out. So I had to call in for reinforcements (aka daddy, who was in the car with Juliana and Jacie.)

Finally Jack agreed to sit on daddy's lap. And the lollipop was a nice touch.

Note: Take notice of the HUGE teardrop on his cheek.

Even the girls got to indulge in pops. This was Jacie's first sucker and I am surprised that it didn't end in a sticky mess. She did well. :)

Half way into the haircut:

Finished product:

I know it doesn't look like much of a haircut but long, flowing locks is Jack's signature look. Maybe next time we will go a bit shorter Poppy! :)

Oodles N Boodles.

2009-07-20T10:34:00.004-05:00

Oodles N' Boodles. Its my new baby. Not an actual child in the sense. But it is mine. My new business. And I must say that I am happy, surprised, thankful at how well it is doing.

These are my first TWO orders that were placed this past week:

Just last night, I got three more orders in a time span of an hour and I woke up to one more this morning. God is really blessing this business and I am so excited to see where this will take me and how it will grow.

Speaking of diapers, here is my Jacie girl sporting a diaper that mommy made. Jack and Jacie LOVE these things. Not to mention, so does our bank account. And of course the planet. :)

Ode to Betsy Ross.... and baby.

2009-06-27T07:37:00.004-05:00

Yes, it's true. I have become a little obsessed with making these:

The above is my "revised" pattern for my Jacie - because the pattern I was using wouldn't stay snug on her tiny, little bottom. I think calling her mouse is an "over" statement.

I have opened up my own ETSY shop online in hopes that other mommies are looking for cute cloth diapers. So far, no bites. But it's only been a couple days....so, we will see!

Baby J: It is SO hard to believe that in 7-9 weeks, we will have our final addition to the Lamson clan! I am a bag of mixed emotions...excitement - another little babe to love so much, sadness - my baby girl won't be the baby anymore. I have been exhausted lately - which is to be expected.... but for reasons like Juliana and Jack have been getting up between 6 and 6:30 EVERY morning. I am a little nervous about NOT getting sleep and taking care of four little baby cubs but I am looking forward to that special bonding time between me and my baby boy or girl in the quiet of the night - just the two of us.

I have been in this "saving money" kick - thus the cloth diapers. We pretty much have everything we need for this baby - gear, clothes, diapers, food - courtesy of mom. The only thing we might need is a new pack n' play - should this little babe be a boy and a car seat for Jacie - being that she still fits in her infant rear- facing seat....kind of. We are also looking at cord blood banking - we have been researching and it is something we feel strongly about having - especially since you never know. Poppy, I know you might want to read about it: www.cordblood.com - :)

My favorite guy took this on Wednesday. Here is me and baby.

(30 and a half weeks.)

Martha Stewart...Eat Your Heart Out!!

2009-06-21T20:40:00.006-05:00

Some may call me a hippy. Some most definitely call me nuts.

The Lamsons have gone green to save some green. That's right folks, we are going all natural. Cloth diapers made from the hands of mommy - with love of course!

This is something we have been researching for a LONG time - especially since we will soon have three in diapers (which might get a little pricey.) So I found some helpful resources in making my own diapers and so far....well, take a look!

Here is Jack and his new training pants.

And my Jacie girl, sporting her new diaper. (Yes, its a little big on her, but we made it so she could grow into it!)

So far it has been a huge success. Yes, we have to change the kiddos more often and have an extra load of laundry to do...but at least we don't have to run out and buy diapers!!! Yay for saving moolah!!!

A little visit from you know who...

2009-06-19T07:10:00.005-05:00

Losing teeth as a kid, for me, was always kind of traumatic and exciting at the same time. Traumatic because...."mom, this tooth is hanging by a thread here, and I am kind of scared to pull it out..."Exciting because the tooth fairy always left the moolah under my pillow.

When Juliana was born - lots of things flashed through my mind. Lack of sleep, crawling, walking, boo-boos, talking, starting Kindergarten and losing her baby teeth. And she did just that.

Last Thursday, Jeremiah and I had rehearsal for praise band - and it is also night one (out of two) of me being home by myself. Well, when we got home, the kiddos ran upstairs to brush their teeth before bed and after 30 seconds of brushing, I hear an "uh-oh mom" come from Juliana. Her loose tooth was now a dangling tooth. So, we gave it a little tug and out she came.

I explained to her that the tooth fairy comes at night while she is asleep and picks up her tooth for her "tooth collection" back in "Toothville". Of course I got questions about what the tooth fairy does with the teeth, how does she get in our house, etc. My answers being she builds houses in her village and she uses her magic tooth wand to unlock our door.

We left the tooth fairy a letter - with tooth in a ziploc baggie, just to make sure she got everything. Juliana woke up the next morning to a letter from the tooth fairy and a dollar in quarters and dimes - which was all the tooth fairy could get together in that short amount of time. :)

When Juliana came into our room to show us what the tooth fairy had left her, she found another copy of the letter by the printer from the tooth fairy - total accident on the tooth fairy's part. SO glad she didn't ask any questions!!

Memorial Day Weekend.

2009-05-26T10:20:00.008-05:00

Goofball aunt Rachael came to visit......

Rachael and "Stinky" Pete came for the weekend and we had so much fun. The kids were beyond excited that they were going to see "Suckah".

On Saturday, we had a birthday BBQ for Jeremiah. The menu? Bacon Cheeseburgers - with minced bacon and cheddar cheese mixed into the patties....AMAZING. Sweet corn, macaroni salad, chips and salsa and baked beans. For dessert my friends.....

....a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie! I made this baby in lieu of Jeremiah's birthday CAKE. Bellies were definitely full!

On Sunday morning, Ethan was dedicated. He wasn't too happy about that cold water on his forehead....

After church, we headed to Galveston Beach. The whole day was warm and sunny but once we were in our cars and on our way, the down pour came. On top of it being wet, the temperature dropped....significantly. But we trekked on. Jeremiah was frequently checking the weather radar on his phone and sure enough the rain stopped when we got there.

We didn't get the chance to swim or sit on the beach but we got the complete view from the sea wall. It was a nice walk and it felt refreshing to breath in the ocean air. :)

My little surfer dude enjoyed walking for a bit but was tired half way into our walk. Kids were cranky, parents were cranky but it was a nice time. With Jeremiah having Wednesdays off now we most definitely will be planning multiple trips to Galveston to get our beach fix!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

2009-05-26T09:30:00.006-05:00

My Jeremiah celebrated his 28th birthday this past week. It was his birthday but I felt that I was the one who should be celebrating.

We wanted to make it really special for him so....

The night before, Jeremiah had to work his night job - which was perfect because it gave us time to fill the foyer with balloons. Juliana and Jackson woke me up at 6:30 that morning so that they could "hide from daddy and yell SURPRISE!" When Jeremiah walked through the door the kids jumped from the stairs and he was greeted with giggles.

Next up was breakfast! The kids and I made daddy pancaked FILLED with love (of course.) They weren't as spectacular as my chocolate chip pancakes but were almost just as good.

We wanted everyone to know what a special day it was so we got Jer a "birthday boy" ribbon to wear all day! He wore it to work that morning but it only got through half of the day (it was having a rough time with the bushes that Jeremiah was trying to trim.) :)

At a little before noon, the kids and I surprised Jeremiah at work and whisked him away for a nice birthday lunch. Well....he decided on McDonald's, which was okay with the kids! After lunch we had birthday cupcakes and played for a little bit.

When Jer got home from work that afternoon, we surprised daddy with a new car....for his toy car collection at least! We set it in the garage right next to Lucy. It was definitely a funny "gag". Jer got a good chuckle.

Happy birthday Jer! I hope it was a great day for you!! :)

Splish, Splash.

2009-05-15T13:58:00.004-05:00

Summer is here. I know technically it isn't summer - according to the calendar....but here in Katy, Texas, it is summer. Yesterday it got to be a little over 90° and boy could you feel it.

So, the kids and I went to Family Dollar and picked up a "glorified kiddie pool", three sets of arm floaties and a blow up pool set (beach ball, floating ring and body board) all for under $25. And yesterday, it was a life saver! We decided to purchase a little pool for the backyard because there is no way that I will be taking three kids to our neighborhood pool - two of which are under the age of three, by myself. We will probably head to the "big" pool in the evenings after Jer gets home from work and we will have "little" pool time in the morning.

Jacie wasn't too sure of this air filled "bath tub" and she wanted to get out right away. Being that it is deeper than her actual bath at bath time, she face planted a couple times and didn't like it so much.

On the other hand, Juliana and Jack had a great time cooling off!

So bring it on summer! :)

Fun Birthday.

2009-05-14T13:45:00.005-05:00

I love that Jeremiah is such a great husband. This birthday ranks up there with the best of 'em. Each day since Sunday, Jeremiah has surprised me with one gift each day. He has just made this week so special and he really showed how much him and the kids appreciate me. (Isn't being a wife/mom SO great!?)

Day #1) Mother's Day - He gave me a card and a frame with six picture spots - one for each member of our clan. :) He also did the dishes from Mother's Day dinner....which was a HUGE plus....

Day #2) Monday - He gave me Grey's Anatomy, Season One and drove 30 minutes - each way, to Cheesecake Factory to get me a delicious slice of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cheesecake. Sounds deadly, I know.

Day #3) Tuesday - I was given Grey's Anatomy, Season Two and dinner of my choice at the Katy Mills Mall Food Court. (I'm a cheap date, I know.) :) I also walked out with two pairs of shoes and four picture frames - courtesy of Grams and Poppy - THANK YOU!

Day #4) BIRTHDAY- Yup, you guessed it....Grey's Anatomy, Season Three. And....

Chocolate Chip Pancakes. I am one who would eat chocolate anything for breakfast every day of my life if I could. Healthy, no way. Amazingly satisfying, yes.

Jeremiah made me these bad boys for my birthday breakfast....and they were delicious. :)

Lucy, our 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan, also got a bath.

Juliana did a great job cleaning the sides of our van.

Jack on the other hand.....did a great job also...but...

...enjoyed the bubbles much, much more.

The rest of the day we took it easy. Had a nice lunch and walked around a few stores. Once we were home, we fed the kiddos, gave them baths and put them to bed. Jeremiah and I were able to get out by ourselves for a late dinner once my mom was over and the clan was fast asleep.

It was such a great day and it is much more greater knowing that I am loved so much.

Thank you love. :)

Mother's Day.

2009-05-11T10:13:00.006-05:00

Mother - the cause, source or origin of something. (Pastor Jerry Edmonson, 5/10/09)

What does being a mother mean to me? It means unconditionally loving, forgiving, sacrificing, responsibility, laughing, disciplining, caring for, prioritizing, patience! - that's a BIG one, comforting and being trusting of God. Prayer is a HUGE thing in my household. Especially from Jeremiah and my end.

I wouldn't change things for all of the world. My children have been a HUGE blessing to me. Being a mother has taught me things that I wouldn't have learned otherwise. Being a mother is who I am. And I thank God every day for including this in His plan. :)

Mother's Day started for me on Saturday night. Jeremiah drove 30 minutes (each way) to Cheesecake Factory to bring me my favorite indulgence - Cheesecake, of course!

On Sunday morning, I was given this:

My sweet Juliana. She made this key chain for me in Sunday School the week before. And what is a mother to do? Throw it on my keyring, RIGHT AWAY! This past week has been so hard for her - being five years old and keeping a surprise from mommy. Every night this past week, before bed, she would ask Jeremiah and I if Mother's Day was the next day. And I have to give her props....she didn't say one word the entire week!

I just LOVE her heart. She is so sweet and thinks of others before herself. She is a true example for me and how I should be ALL the time.

Before church, I tried to get a few shots of all of the kiddos together. This was one of those randoms. Jack and Juliana were trying to get Jacie to laugh...or at the least, smile. Mission Accomplished.

That morning at church, the children had a Mother's Day Tea for their mommies. It was so sweet. Juliana got to pick out a tea cup for mommy and we had tea and cupcakes!

Then, Jer and I went to "big" church and enjoyed some great worship and message. All of the mothers were given a red rose on their way in. But for some reason, I walked out with ten. :)

Here is my rendition of a Strawberry Custard Cassata Cake. I have been craving them for the past month or so. And I have to say, it turned out great! We had my mom and Krista over for dinner - Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Rice and Chips and Queso...I know, I know. Surprise, Surprise.

Jeremiah got me a frame with SIX picture spots in it (something I have been looking for, for a while now.) And being that mother's day happens to fall during the week of my birthday, he is doing something that his family did for him growing up.....FUN BIRTHDAY WEEK! :) So each day leading up to the big day, he is surprising me with a gift. I will keep you posted :)

Happy Mother's Day!

My goofball kids....

2009-05-08T20:45:00.006-05:00

My kids make me laugh. On a daily basis, actually. If it isn't making up songs, or saying something completely out of the ordinary or playing "house".... It just makes me smile and I thank God that I am able to stay home and witness their growth spurts - physically, mentally and spiritually.

I guess this post is more of an "Ode to my kids" than anything. They are pretty amazing and deserve to be bragged on a bit.

My sweet Juliana is almost SIX. It makes me wonder where the time has gone. It seems like yesterday I was in labor and delivering this beautiful little girl. She LOVES to play "mommy" to Jack and Jacie, even when I am right there. She is my mother goose. She is big into tattling on her little brother, even when she doesn't realize it. She changes her clothes about thirteen times a day. She likes to help me in the kitchen - even if it is just pouring milk on a bowl of cereal. She loves spending time with her friends from church and teaching her little brother songs that she learned in Sunday School that week. Her new obsession is computer time - even if it is only 30 minutes a day. She reads books like it is going out of style. She is my helper and sometimes I get frustrated with her because she wants to do TOO much. But she is truly amazing.

My Jackal. I thought this picture was appropriate because this is what he does. He gets into every kinds of trouble possible. He is my boy. He is my energetic, crazy, spitfire little boy. He colors on walls, pees on the floor, chews on his toothbrush. He sneaks downstairs at 11:30pm to grab a quick snack out of the refrigerator. He hides out in our bathtub as I am frantically searching the house as to the wear abouts of Jack. He is so sweet. He loves to be hugged and to hug those around him. He looks after his little sister. He likes to color - on paper, if we are lucky. He loves loves loves bath time. He understands that we pray for our food before we dig in. He likes to dance. And sing - that's my favorite. He is truly amazing.

My sweet, sweet Jacie girl. She never ceases to surprise me on a daily basis. Her new thing is walking. She LOVES to walk everywhere - to the kitchen, to the TV, to my room. She thinks she is Evil Knievel by climbing up the stairs - which makes mommy a complete wreck at times. She says "dad", "mom" and "bye". She knows sign language for "more" and uses it frequently, especially at meal times. She likes to dance - especially to the Backyardagains or Yo Gabba Gabba. She likes to snuggle - which melts my heart and she loves to give kisses. She likes to be outside and most definitely likes to grab leaves off of the trees out front. She is my baby girl and I cant believe that birthday number TWO is right around the corner.

This is why I get up everyday. These guys keep me grounded. I wouldn't trade this time for anything in the world. Guess they're right when they say,"Time flies when you're having fun!"

Deep In the Heart of Texas.

2009-05-04T17:19:00.003-05:00

Deep in the heart of Texas....it is really hot. I mean really, really hot.

Yes, I am from here and I feel a little silly admitting this but I got SUNBURNED on Saturday.

Yes, it was sunny on Saturday. Yes, it was over 85 degrees. Yes, I did NOT put sunblock on...well, for the exception of my face - I learned my lesson in September.

Jeremiah and I spent quite some time on the yard and I must say, this sunburn is worth the end result.

11 bags of jet black hardwood mulch. 6 "pots" of red flowers. 1 bag of Weed and Feed lawn fertilizer.

And this my friends, is my favorite - spur of the moment yard buy. It kind of reminds me of Hawaii. No, I haven't ever been there BUT this is what I imagine it is like. And it is pretty.

South of the Border.

2009-05-01T20:40:00.009-05:00

Well, this really has nothing to do with Mexico but it is one of three topics of this post.

My Jacie girl has now realized that it is more beneficial to her and where she is going if she walked. Today after her nap, she spotted daddy sitting in the chair and started to crawl over to him. Apparently she wasn't moving as fast as she would have liked, so she stood up and just started walking. She walked over to him, walked through the kitchen, walked over to the TV. After about five minutes she sat down on the ground and started to crawl around like a baby chimpanzee with that bum leg crawl that she has. Five minutes is a start, right?

Mexican Food. It is what I want ALL the time. Morning, noon and night. Not sure if it is because of my new surroundings or what but this pregnancy has been all about food from south of the border. We are not talking Taco Bell...we are talking authentic Mexican food.

Tonight for dinner, I made Chicken Enchiladas and they turned out AHHHMAZING. And because I was feeling a little spunky, I made Virgin Strawberry Margaritas - the perfect Mexican beverage to go with the perfect Mexican meal.

Mmmmmm.

I know my blog has been about food the past couple of posts but bear with me. I am ALL about food...well, lately anyhow.

Dun, dun, dun. SWINE FLU.

A middle school in Katy has temporarily closed its doors due to a possible "swine" outbreak. I don't know if it is just me but it has hit a little too close to home, in the literal sense. Makes me want to wrap my kids up in sterile wrap infused with Lysol and throw them into a bubble.

(For those back home:) Right now we are trying to not go out anywhere super public. We don't want to have any kind of outbreak, especially with three little ones and with my immune system being a little weak because of the pregnancy. We love you all and will talk to you soon! :)

Chocolate-y Goodness.

2009-04-29T08:34:00.003-05:00

Last night, I recreated one of my favorite dessert recipes : Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies.....

I wanted to share this amazing recipe - so here it is!

Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies

Ingredients:

1 pkg (12oz) semi-sweet chocolate morsels, divided

1 pkg (18-21oz) brownie mix (and ingredients to make cake-like brownies)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided

1 cup salted mixed nuts - chopped, divided

40 pcs Rolo chocolate covered caramels

Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray. Chop 1 1/2 cups of chocolate morsels. Combine brownie mix, water, oil, eggs and 1/4 cup of brown sugar; mix well. Fold in chopped chocolate; pour batter into pan, spreading evenly.

2. Combine half of the nuts and remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar; sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

3. Meanwhile, cut 16 Rolos into quarters. Place remaining 1/2 cup chocolate morsels into microwavable bowl, microwave HIGH 1 minute or until melted, stirring after each 20-second interval. Spoon melted chocolate into Ziploc baggie; set aside.

4. Remove pan from oven. Immediately press 24 Rolos evenly into brownie in four rows of six Rolos each. Sprinkle quartered Rolos and remaining nuts over brownies. Trim corner of chocolate-filled baggie; drizzle chocolate evenly over brownies. Cut into squares; serve warm. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

Yield: 24 servings

Enjoy! :)

The Thunder Rolls.....

2009-04-28T08:18:00.003-05:00

...and the lightning strikes.

Yesterday afternoon the rains had picked up - something that I had been anticipating all day.

Jacie was having her after nap snack and she was drawn to the window next to her. By this point, it was coming down in BUCKETS and slapping the window. The trees were blowing this way and that. She seemed to enjoy this work of nature and come to think of it, I did too....but only from the inside.

This morning at about 3:30 - I was jolted from my sleep. The rain was violent, the thunder shook the walls of our house and lightning lit up the sky every 2.8 seconds. So I got up and cracked open our bedroom door, should the kids wake up. Then I laid back down and then the hail started. I was positive all three kiddos would be in our bed before I could take my next breath. But...nope. Slept through it all, thank goodness. I am not sure why I am surprised, they slept right through Ike.

This morning when I got up - again, at a normal time of 7:48am, it was as if things were in disarray. Schools had a two hour delay, activities were cancelled. It was as if a HUGE blizzard came through and we were "snowed in".

I felt the urge to dig out our snow shovel...or heat up my van.

Just funny, compared to Cleveland winters. And I have to say, I would take dump truck loads of rain over snow any day. :)

Where a kid can be a kid.

2009-04-27T11:05:00.008-05:00

Last Monday, we met up with the Ferows at every mom's, sitter's, caretaker's nightmare...that's right, Chuck E. Cheese. What is it about that monster-size rat and using all mom and dad's money to play games only to win tickets for prizes that aren't worth the amount of tickets is "cost" to "buy" them that appeal to kids of all ages and sizes....

I guess it is all the laughs, excitement, fun and pizza that makes it worth it. Being that the Ferows and our family includes kiddos that get a kick out of that sort of fun, I figured one night wouldn't hurt us! :)

Well, Juliana got herself a horse. Eight months after being a Texan, she finally did it! :) She must have spent $5 in Chuck coins to play this horse jockey game. Even though she didn't quite understand how this thing worked, she had a BLAST getting tousled around. It made me laugh. :)

I think this picture explains it all..... (courtesy of daddy.) My Jack man. He was EVERYWHERE!!! He "caught" a ride on this carousel - on other kid's quarters....that's right, he would climb on this MOVING carousel while another child was enjoying their ride. It became quite the thing to do with all of the kids....and we didn't mind so much being that our table was right next to it. Jack had a fun time while Trish and I picked his cup up off of the floor by random games (numerous times!), caught him AFTER he chased an employee in the back room because he wanted the ball in her hand, stopped him from "unmasking" Chuck E. and grabbed him while he ran past the "kid security guard" in front. I am pretty sure Jack is NOT allowed back...at least until he is 23.

Jacie Madison. She loves her some pizza. I think the count was up to four. That's right. Four pieces ALL BY HERSELF! She definitely doesn't pass up food. She even tried to sneak her brother's pieces. Now the only thing I am wondering is....why is she so tiny?

Kids LOVE cotton candy!!! Jack, Mia, Juliana and Madi took a break for some sugah.

Even daddy indulged.

Now why is it Jeremiah, Juliana and Jack look scared to death of this carnival favorite?!?!?! :)

EXTRA, EXTRA!!!!

2009-04-16T08:28:00.007-05:00

This one might be a little long folks, being that it has been ONE week since I have gotten back on here....

UPDATE ON JULIANA: Well, our little ball of rubber bounced back the very next day! Jeremiah took her to an oral surgeon and THANK GOD she didn't have to get stitches. The puncture wound was in a place in her throat that was a "gray area" - no main arteries etc. and being that she is a child, he said she would heal in a week or two! HA! She was closed up the next morning! Right now she is on anti-biotic to prevent infection and she is eating normal foods again....but we will probably still make her Jell-o, just because she likes it so much! :)

Thanks GP,NANA,GRAMS & POPPY for our Easter outfits! These adorable creatures looked so stinkin' cute! Mommy wore the exact thing that the girls did and daddy wore khakis and a white shirt - still working on getting him to wear anything argyle! :)

Poor little Jacie didn't make it through the morning. She got sick as we were leaving church and threw up not only on her little white dress but mommy's white dress also. I think the bath count for Easter day was at five and mommy's changed outfit count was at four.

Pictures are on their way today, so be on the look out grandparents!!! :)

The kiddos "Jesus Baskets" were a success! I went out yesterday to get these for the kiddos - we waited a little later because everything was on sale! We got Juliana High School Musical to add to her collection of Disney movies and I am not sure if I will regret it or not...we will see! After Jack's Dry Erase marker incident - we opted for an AquaDoodle mat. Its a large mat and you use special pens filled with water to color/draw on it. Once the water dries, the mat is a clear canvas again! So far, kids LOVE it and I LOVE it because I know for a fact that it is easier to clean water off of the wall than black marker. Mommy has learned her lesson! :)

INTRODUCING: Baby J Lamson - again! :) Jeremiah and I went down to Hermann Memorial City Hospital on Tuesday afternoon to get an ultrasound and this little guy/girl is growing like a weed. Our due date is August 29th and we are SO happy to say that our family will be complete once this little bundle gets here!

The night before I was having trouble taking deep breaths and it was causing some pain in my ribs/upper abdomen and middle back. Almost to the point where I couldn't talk or walk. So the ultrasound tech took a look at my gall bladder and kidneys and it turned out that my kidney was a little swollen, as well as the baby's (1cm larger than they would have liked to see.) So Tuesday night, Jeremiah and I spent most of the night in the hospital while I was hooked up to monitors, blood was drawn, X-rays were taken and pain medicine was given.

Tests came back clear and today I have no pain - as for the baby, I have a follow up with my doctor tomorrow morning and I will have to meet with a specialist so that they can monitor the baby's kidney throughout the rest of the pregnancy. God is GOOD! I am so thankful for all of the prayers that were said over my healing and SO thankful for an AMAZING husband that was by my side the whole time! God healed my pain. I am so thankful for my rocks - GOD and Jeremiah. I am so thankful.

Sunglasses: Keep Out of Reach of Children.

2009-04-09T15:32:00.002-05:00

Last night, while in Old Navy, Juliana was trying on various styles of glasses and when she put these on, she looked at Jeremiah and said," Daddy, these are absolutely ridiculous!"

But that isn't the moral of the story. It just so happens to be ironic that Juliana (the victim) is wearing a pair of sunglasses in the picture. Today, while the kiddos were on the couch watching a movie, Jackson found a pair of his sunglasses (that daddy didn't do such a great job of hiding....) and was "trying them on" Juliana. All was fun and games until my goofball Jack wasn't paying attention to where he was putting them and shoved them right in Juliana's mouth. A few minutes later, Juliana hadn't stopped crying so Jeremiah whipped out his flashlight and took a gander in Juliana's mouth. At the back of her throat was a hole. That's right, a HOLE.

Daddy made an appointment with the dentist and he took her in. The dentist checked out her teeth, gave Juliana a goody bag and after assessing the situation, referred Jeremiah to an oral surgeon! Juliana will need to be knocked out and stitched up.

Meanwhile, mommy is wearing down the carpet with all of the pacing I have done the past two hours. We will update as soon as Juliana is home.

My Little Pony (girl.)

2009-04-08T13:51:00.007-05:00

Well...we finally did it. We got our tiny, little Jacie girl's hair into a pony (or two.) Now if only we can get her to walk....

Jacie LOVES her lion. Here is a little background....when I had Jack (in 2006), my dad took Juliana to the gift shop and told her that she could pick out anything she wanted - FOR Jack. Well, she came upstairs with this adorable pink lion for her brand new baby brother. We think she had ulterior motives behind this gift choice. Anyhow, Jacie has recently re-discovered the pink lion and now calls it her own. Literally. She wont put the thing down.

Now that Jacie is on the move, her new favorite pastime is looking out the window. Especially at all the "green stuff".

She makes me smile. :)

Jack, the Dry Erase Bandit.

2009-04-07T20:41:00.003-05:00

So. Saturday morning, Jeremiah and I got up to this:

At first we thought, haha, Jackson is trying to look like mommy and daddy - in a tattoo sort of way. Then we walk upstairs and find this:

My creative, spunky little Michelangelo wrote all over the wall going up stairs, all over the carpet and all over the linen closet door. We had a heck of a time getting these markings off of the wall....Rubbing Alcohol. Not only did it get the marker off but it also got the paint off. So needless to say, we will be having a painting party....volunteers welcome!

I mean, it is Dry Erase Marker....hmmmm. Should come right off. Right?

Leprechauns and Easter Eggs?!?!?!

2009-04-01T17:31:00.006-05:00

So, being that we are the "Late Lamsons", we had our traditional St. Patty's Day dinner almost two weeks late. So here was the outcome.

YUMMY corned beef.

YUMMY roasted veggies. :)

Today we had Mia and Madi over for playtime. I figured that it would be a fun activity to decorate Easter eggs - being that it is so close to Easter! The kiddos had a blast and got a little messy in doing so - sorry if there is paint in the girls hair Trish! Some children even thought it would be a good idea to eat the paint....(achhhhem Jack!) Thank goodness for non-toxic art supplies!

Here was the end result. These kiddos have definite Picasso creativity!!!

Snap, Crackle, Pop....

2009-03-30T10:53:00.006-05:00

My kids LOVE sweets. Heck, I LOVE sweets. Last week, we had a good ol' time making Rice Crispy Treats....and it was fun. Gooey, messy, sticky fun but fun.

My Jack just wanted to "get down and dirty". He is a boy. What do you expect? At every chance he could, he was sticking his little fingers in the treats. So his main job was cutting out shapes...with mom's help of course!

Juliana LOVES to let her creative side show. Anything decorating, coloring, creating...she is all over it. Here she is "creating" her treat. I didn't get a chance to get "after" pics because my kids are too fast. If there is some sort of treat in front of them, it is gone in 3.7 seconds. :)

Oh my sweet Jack. While I was cleaning up our mess and five Rice Crispy Treats later, Jack was going in for the final kill. But I am a swift mom and my camera happened to be in my hand. :)

I Scream, You scream......

2009-03-27T19:02:00.008-05:00

On Monday, Jeremiah and I took the kiddos to Memorial City Mall for some $1 Sundaes from McDonald's. (Cheap dessert after spending BELOW our budget for groceries that day!)

Before:

Jacie indulged in MOMMY'S ice cream....

After:

After our delicious ice cream Juliana, Jack and mommy headed to the huge play area and got some of that sugary energy out! (Meanwhile, daddy and Jacie went to the Apple store to get my iphone checked out.)

It was a fun outing that only cost us $5. That's my kind of family time! :)

Walking on Sunshine! :)

2009-03-21T17:45:00.005-05:00

I am absolutely LOVING this Texas weather. Yesterday was beautiful - 78 degrees, sunshin-ing - not a cloud in the sky. Jeremiah and I took the kiddos to the park before lunch and they had a BLAST!!!

Juliana was climbing onto anything she could climb on! She likes to challenge herself with new obstacles. :)

Jack, well Jack was being your typical little boy. Walking down slides, climbing on ladders that were too big for him, tugging on another little girl's shirt. :)

And my Jacie Madison. Little thing WANTS to walk all by herself...but for some reason will only do it at certain times and certain places. She had a ball on the slide (with big sister and brother of course.)

Life is their playground. :)

Ethan James :)

2009-03-19T17:08:00.004-05:00

My nephew came into the world today! :) He was born at 9:24am, 7lbs - 12oz and 18 in. long....

Hello world, here I come!!

Monster...... :)

2009-03-11T15:27:00.005-05:00

My Jack. He is my little boy. He is tough. He is rough. He fights like a WWF wrestler...

Yet, he ran into the living room from the kitchen with a scared, "OMG I just saw a ghost" look on his face. When I asked him what was wrong, he just said, "monster, monster...."

Sadly, this heaven sent iced tea maker is the culprit. Who knew an appliance could be so scary?

It's a Jungle Out There....

2009-03-09T14:36:00.009-05:00

This one might be a long one folks.

Below is a picture of our backyard as of Saturday morning. Being that we haven't ever owned a lawn mower or any other yard tool for that matter, we had quite the Amazon on our hands. If you look closely you might spot an orangutan, lion or even a parrot.

This is the after effect and THANK GOODNESS! Needless to say, the kiddos were happy that they could rule the kingdom that was rightfully theirs.

BUBBLE TIME!!! We got the kids a couple bottles of bubbles for outside time and they loved it!

(GP, these are Juliana's bubble glasses. Check your inbox.)

Jacie had a BLAST while Jack blew bubbles in her face. She was so intrigued by all of the balls of color that were floating all around her.

Last night after our ten mile walk - not really, but it felt that way, we came home and had baths and pizza. Then once Jack and Jacie were snug as a bug in a rug in their beds, Jeremiah, Juliana and myself laid a blanket and tons of pillows down on the floor and got ready for movie night. We rented Beverly Hills Chihuahua and turned off all the lights. Too bad we never got around to popping the popcorn.

I LOVE weekends!

Maid Service Anyone?

2009-03-07T07:01:00.007-05:00

Last night as we were putting the kids down for bed, I walked into Juliana's room to grunting and the mattress scraping the wall. She had her mattress COMPLETELY off the bed, attempting (and doing a darn good job) to put her sheet on her mattress. Now anyone that has toddlers and toddler beds knows what a pain it is to try to pull and tug the sheet to fit over the mattress. If your lucky, the sheet just magically slides over the corners. But if you have had a sheet for five years that has been through MANY washes/drys you know that they tend to shrink. (Its Babies R US and the sheet manufacturer out to take more money from tapped out parents.) Well after 10 minutes, she did it. She did it all by herself. It made me smile because she was so proud of herself and I was proud of her. :)

Our Jacie girl. She really is trying. She flies through the kitchen while holding onto cabinets, walls and appliances. She flies through the living room holding onto the couch and coffee table. And once in a while, she lets go and realizes that she is walking all by herself - and down we go. But she lets go. Our kids are growing up. Soon it will be kindergarten. Then sleepovers. Then football camp. Then high school. Then our nest is empty. Why cant they be babies forever?

Bill Gates Meets Walk-er Baby?!?!?!

2009-03-05T10:21:00.006-05:00

BREAKING NEWS!!!! Our Jacie girl took her FIRST steps yesterday! This picture is not from when she did it but from before lunch when she was walking "with" the refrigerator. Last night before bed, we were playing with her on her bedroom floor and daddy had a toy she wanted so she walked four steps from mommy to daddy. It was SO exciting!

Juliana has found a new favorite past time! She LOVES computer time and we found a couple games on www.disney.com that she just had a blast playing. This will most definitely be a new motivational tool. (ie reward for being good.). Who knew that having a working computer would be so advantageous?

Oh Jack. I just love this picture so I thought I would share. :)

Blogger Makeover With a Full Stomach!

2009-03-03T14:07:00.004-05:00

For your reading enjoyment I will be updating the appearance of this blog monthly. Being that it is March and sunny and green here....like it is all year round, I figured this look is appropriate. :)

Now, onto the important subject.....FOOD! I just love God's sense of humor. When Jeremiah and I met in 2004, I was in no way any kind of chef, cook, microwave-er. I could hardly boil water on the stove! Well at that time, Jeremiah showed up in my life with a degree in Nutrition. (Yay me!!!) So anyways, Jeremiah and I are doing the Love Dare devotional and yesterday's dare was to have a quiet dinner for two at home and re-study your spouse. Well.....this is what Jeremiah made me:

What you have just "feasted" on is a Italian grilled chicken breast topped with Mozzarella cheese, a grilled portabella mushroom and grilled red bell peppers on a toasted ciabatta roll. Served with herb angel hair pasta.

MMMM. Yay me! :)

Bananas and Wine?!?!?!?

2009-03-02T11:21:00.005-05:00

My little 14 month old monkey LOOOVES bananas. Yesterday after church Jacie was eating bananas and making cute little monkey calls. Where she got that from, the world may never know!

Our church has "New Community" once a month on the first Sunday night of the month,("New Community" is a time of worship, prayer and baptisms.) and last night was my "turn" to sing on the worship team. Juliana was sitting with us because there is only childcare for ages baby to 4 years old. Anyways, it was time for communion and we walked to the table to receive our bread and grape juice. ( A little background: we have been talking with Juliana over the past few months about Jesus and how he died on the cross for our sins so that we could live in heaven with Him. We also have explained that the bread represents the body of Jesus and the grape juice the blood of Jesus.) As we sat down, we took the bread and juice and we started to pray. The man who was praying for communion referred to the grape juice as wine and Juliana looked over at me and said out loud, "Mom! I drank wine???" At that point, I calmly (and stopped myself from laughing) said, " No honey, you had grape juice." Well being that she is five and argues with everything I say, began to "plead her case" and lucky for me, I heard the word Amen.

Kids say the darnedest things.

Focus on Jeremiah and Jamie :)

2009-02-28T20:41:00.006-05:00

We thoroughly LOVE date nights, date days, date weeks....ANYTHING along those lines. Last night my mom came over and "took up shop" so that we could have a nice, quiet dinner at Salt Grass Steakhouse. It was so nice to not have to worry about picking up cups off the floor or cutting up food into bite size or keeping my two year old IN his seat because he wants to be a "big boy" and sit in a "big boy"seat.

This morning, Jeremiah and I attended a marriage conference called "Focus On Marriage" at our church - The Fellowship at Cinco Ranch. It was an all day affair and even if our marriage is not headed for that cliff, it was nice to be "refreshed" with tips, scripture and biblical ways to make our marriage a little better. Besides, when did good become not good enough? Today just helped me to realize how great my husband is and how much he does for me. It made me want to love him a little more each day and love him as Jesus loves us.

But back to reality. I walked in to a half naked Jack, and hyper Juliana and a sleepy Jacie. My kiddos had a great time with Grammy and it was nice to have some time with Jer, but I wouldn't give up being with my kids for anything. Besides, life would be a little boring other wise. :)

The J Lamson Clan - The Reunion "Tour"

2009-02-27T10:19:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, at about 5:41pm, we heard the sound we have been waiting for for 6 days. It was the doorbell. And on the other side of the door was the Fed Ex delivery man. In his hand was our new computer. All I know is that it is an Apple desktop with a large screen. :)

With that being said, our blog will be updated on a daily basis. (It's amazing what a working computer can do for you!)

Defying Gravity

2008-03-05T08:30:00.002-05:00

I completely forgot how much I LOVED this musical until last night.

Jeremiah and I had a nice, relaxing night with no kiddies. We went to Red Lobster for dinner and then after a scary, scary drive into downtown, he took me to see my favorite musical of all time - Wicked, the Untold Story of the Wicked Witch of the West(she is my favorite - if you cant get to the musical, read the book by Gregory Maguire.) LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!! It was no Broadway but it came close! And being there brought out my "inner green".

Gotta go pack because in 21 hours and 17 minutes, we will be defying gravity when we head to Houston :)

The 80's Are Back!!!!

2008-03-04T10:16:00.005-05:00

Jeremiah, Jacie and I are going to Houston on Thursday and I went out and bought these stinkin' cute leg warmers for Jacie for the plane ride (seeing as we wont need the baby cover for her car seat, nor winter clothes...) I LOVE these!!! I wish I could find them for mommies!

I got this awesome shirt for Jack (paid $0.25 for it) and I wanted to get a picture of him. Well, after 5 minutes of trying to get a nice smile shot...this is what I got. He clearly never wants me to take pictures of him and he shows it...I guess it will be good blackmail once he is in high school... :)

Saturday morning, Melissa and I went to a couple garage-type sales at Strongsville High School and Valley Forge High School....we figured that instead of bringing all of the kids (5 kids total!) we would "hire" a couple teens from the youth group at our church. So we called upon, Alex, Carlea and Abby!! I love these girls...(if we are playing favorites...they are definitely mine!) So they came over at 8 in the am and watched Juliana, Jack and Chloe (Mel's little girl) for a couple hours. I would definitely hire them again! They cleaned up the playroom and washed their dishes!! I would recommend them to anyone!! :)

Well I better get to packing!! We leave in 42 hours and 5 minutes!! Cant you tell we are looking forward to it??

WARNING: MAY CAUSE HUNGER!

2008-02-29T09:20:00.004-05:00

My husband is better than your husband :)

So last night, Jeremiah arranged for Jaime and Sean to take Juliana and Jack for a few hours so that he could cook me this for dinner:

Jeremiah recreated the first dinner that he had ever made me when we started dating. He made Thai peanut grilled chicken, fresh asparagus, Thai peanut portabello mushroom caps and Thai noodles. We also had spring mix salad with sliced portabella mushrooms and garlic vinaigrette dressing. (I'm getting a little hungry thinking about it...)

Here is the end result:

It was so nice to sit down and have a nice, quiet dinner. There was no spilled juice to clean up or food to vacuum off the floor. And there was especially NO high pitched Jack screams. We loved that part! :)

Its so great to have awesome friends who will sacrifice their evening to take our kiddos for a while. It was a much needed quiet evening.

(Jaime and Sean : WE OWE YOU!!)

Ouchies...

2008-02-28T11:38:00.002-05:00

Jacie got her two-month shots yesterday. That's four total! Jeremiah said she was a trooper. The first two shots, she just stared at Jer like nothing was going on and then by the third she really wasn't happy. My babies are tough cookies.

(In case you're wondering where I was during all of this...I was in the waiting room. I don't do shots, that's Jer's department. I am in the check-up room for everything else but once they pull out the needles, I am gone.)

call me a pansy...cause I am :)

Here You Go GP!!!

2008-02-27T09:44:00.004-05:00

Well, it's been quite a while since I have posted anything...I would say about four months. About three out of the four my father in law has been asking me (or Jer) why I haven't updated the blog...so here you go!!

(In a nutshell) The past four months have been a blur. We welcomed our beautiful little girl into the world on Thursday, December 27th at 4:49pm. Jacie Madison Lamson was 7 pounds, 6 ounces and 19 inches long. So far she has been a perfect baby :) Although lately she doesn't seem to want to make her mind up about sleeping at night...one night it is an 8 hour night and the next three nights she is up between 3 and 4am. But other than that...PERFECT.

My first semester back to school was a breeze...seriously. I got a 4.0 last semester and I am still going strong...even though this semester I am only taking two courses. I cant wait to get back to the actual school. The online courses are convenient for the time being, but they stink as far as hands on learning. Personally, I would rather be in a classroom setting instead of a "child screaming" setting.

I'm training for a marathon again! I have been in training mode for a little over a month and I am loving it!! I have lost 7 pounds in the last 4 and a half weeks and I am only a mere 3 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight! I especially love getting out of the house and working off that built up energy that I cant work off at home...Ive got that warm weather itch...cant wait to get outside and run instead of on a treadmill in a stuffy, sweaty building :)

In 8 days...yes that's right, I am counting... Jeremiah, Jacie and I will be heading to Houston, Texas for five days. My friend Becca is getting married. The last time I saw Becca was when Jer and I got married almost three years ago. I just cant wait to get out of Cleveland for a little while...I cant wait to be in the warm weather and relax.

Other than that, things on the home front are going good. Kids are growing like weeds and I cant believe it is already March almost!!

Almost Two Months Later...

2007-10-23T09:40:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th Birthday my little banana!

Juliana had a very eventful birthday - in the morning we made chocolate chip pancakes with loads of whipped cream! Then once Jer got off of work, we took her to Red Robin for lunch and then we headed to Mapleside Farms in Brunswick for a fun fall day. We bought apples, let her play in the clubhouse, walked outside by the beautiful trees changing colors....i love it!! Then we came home to have her birthday party with family. She got tons of awesome clothes and toys and she was just beyond herself. I cant believe that she is 4 already....makes me kind of sad...

Jack, Jack, Jack....my little man is getting bigger everyday! He will be 14th months on the 6th and each day he is just doing new things that he didn't do the day before. He is walking - at a rapid pace- all over the place...definitely keeping me busy!

Jer and I are doing well...our 2nd anniversary is in 2 weeks! Cant believe that either! Time is just flying by!! With school and a new baby girl coming in 10 weeks(!!!) there is not time to breathe, let along blog...just wanted to let everyone know we are alive and well!!

Happy Birthday Little Man....

2007-09-06T10:49:00.000-05:00

My little guy turns one today!!!! Happy Birthday little Jack!!

Then:

Now:

Jack's New Hat

2007-06-27T16:50:00.001-05:00

Jack got a new hat today :) Doesn't he look handsome!

Today was my second doctor's appointment with Dr. Samanich. Everything is going well, we heard the baby's heartbeat - it's between 155 and 160, which means girl....its a myth, but I am hoping that I am right! :) We also got the form to schedule our ultrasound....cant wait for that! Here is a belly picture! Getting huge!! Today I am at 13 weeks, which is the 1st milestone! :)

Who-hoo!!

Belly!

2007-05-31T09:27:00.000-05:00

Okay folks, we're starting with the belly pics :) I am 9 weeks and 1 day prego...tired as all get out and getting HUGE!!

Today is my first appointment with Dr. Samanich - cant wait! You know what that means...OLIVE GARDEN BABY!!!

So Groggy...

2007-05-18T09:49:00.000-05:00

I hate being sick. I have been 'under the weather' for about 3 days now and I am not seeing any improvement. Just one of life's things right?

My mom bought Jack this adorable outfit when she was home. I absolutely love it!! (Now Jack and Dominic can be twinkies!!)

ah sleep...

Accomplished!

2007-05-16T07:29:00.000-05:00

My goal was to see how long I could go without posting a new blog on here...I see I was quite successful! (Just kidding, it appears that I am just quite lazy..or busy, one of the two.)

Well, ALOT has happened in over the past month.

Jer has 9 days worth of paid vacation the last week of April. We LOVED having him home for the week. We took the kids to the zoo (twice), to the Cleveland Children's Museum and made multiple trips to Target - we love that place! It was great bonding time with daddy and he got to see what we did during the day while he was at work.

The day Jer went back to work, we found out that we are PREGNANT! Baby J #3 is due around January 2nd and I use the term "due" very loosely. Being that Juliana was 5 days early and Jack was 12 days early, we might end up with a Christmas baby! We are excited about this surprise and I am pretty sure that it will be our final surprise..

My mom was in town for Mother's Day (and my birthday :)) which was a nice thing. We miss my mom and anytime we get to see her, we really soak it up! We took the kids to the zoo (Juliana, Jack, Dominic & Ella), we did a little shopping, we cooked out on the grill and we even got an oil change for my car! It was a fun time and I always hate to see her go...stupid Texas.

I'm Dreaming of a White Easter?!?!?!

2007-04-09T09:48:00.001-05:00

What a weekend! I am completely shocked at how much snow we got in the past 4 days!! Easter was a very white one...in which it should be but instead of cold yucky snow maybe we could have gotten fluffy, sticky marshmallow.... Less than a week ago, Juliana was wearing this:

So Jack is now sitting all by himself!! I cant believe how big he is getting - he is already 7 months old! I gave him a little bit of table food yesterday, he had real applesauce, a little bit of cheesecake and some sweet potatoes. He is only taking 3 bottles a day now (one when he gets up, one before nap time and one before bed), the rest of the time, he is eating food. Maybe that explains why he is so big!! These were Juliana's pj's when she was about 15months....these fit Jack now.

gotta love it...

How Deep, How Wide, How Great.

2007-04-07T06:18:00.000-05:00

I just cant even begin to fathom God's love for me. I know its there, and its full. Its so amazing. Last week's church service really touched my heart as I am sure it touched others. Pastor Doug had a life size cross set out at the front of the church, leaning on the platform. (It was the cross we used for the Easter Pageants for many years.) He did a short message, touching the important key points about God's love for us. Then he invited the congregation to (literally) nail their sins, needs and thanks on the cross. It was a very bittersweet time of prayer. Because you know what? I might as well of been there, over 2000 years ago, with that hammer in my hand.

God's love is....

strong.

powerful.

amazing.

righteous.

forgiving.

faithful.

perfect.

'How deep, how wide, how great, is your love for me.'

Hide N' Seek

2007-03-30T10:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Juliana and I had a great day together - Jer's mom came over and watched Jack while Juliana and I went out. We started off at Target to pick up a few things where Juliana randomly said. " I am at Target AGAIN!". The manager said, "Oh yeah? Are you going to work here when you grow up?". Juliana: "Yeah, when I get bigger....".

Then we had lunch at any child in America's favorite joint...Good Ol' Micky D's. They have THE cutest toys in the happy meals this time around. Right now, they are giving the Wizard of Oz characters in kid form. This week is the Wicked Witch - MY FAVORITE!! (Thank you Wicked! - If you haven't seen it or read the book, I recommend that you book a flight to NYC and attend the show. Its at the Gershwin Theater...GO SEE IT!)

Where was I? Oh yeah, so after lunch we went to the library to get a few books and then Juliana and I came home...while she was playing with her new collection, I glanced over and witnessed this:

I guess mail boxes aren't just for mail anymore...

ZOO!!

2007-03-28T09:52:00.000-05:00

On Monday, I took the kids to the zoo...it was beautiful outside, about 75 degrees and the best thing, on Mondays, admission is FREE if you live in Cuyahoga County! (yea!)

It was Jack's first time to the zoo - he was very content, just looking around at all the people. Juliana was beyond excited! I think she was just really excited to be outside of the house.

I am most likely getting a year membership, since we don't have access to a pool anymore, I don't want the kids to go stir crazy. I figure if I take them a couple times a week, an hour or two at a time, it should be a great investment.

SUBJECT CHANGE!! Last night, my dad was sitting on the couch and Jack was laying on the floor drinking his bedtime bottle. All of a sudden my dad saw the bottle roll across the floor and this is what he saw: (my kids are so stinkin' cute...)

Little Angels and One Cool Dude...

2007-03-26T06:51:00.000-05:00

This is how peaceful my kids looked last night when we pulled into the driveway. We had a big day yesterday - we had to be at church at 8:30am - we live about half an hour from there, then we took them to the park for a little playtime, it was so nice outside!! Then Juliana went to spend sometime with "GP" (Grampy Pat), which I am pretty sure that he took her to the park, so she was good and tired when we picked her up.
Oh Jack, he must be getting his first tooth. He was very warm, whiny and watery - his nose and eyes. Not to mention all that chewing on his binky...poor little guy.

Seriously, how cool is this little guy? Yesterday morning, when Jer and I were running around the house like chickens with our heads cut off - trying to get everyone out of the house on time, we found this. Juliana was downstairs with her "big brother" - she gets so confused and he had her sunglasses on....HE LOVED IT!! I just knew he would be the rock star of the kids...which means little Juliana will be practicing medicine...takin' care of mom and dad :)
Sorry the pics are so blurry, I blame the camera phone, very convenient but very crappy. More later!!

Cleveland Marathon Baby!!

2007-03-24T07:31:00.000-05:00

So, last November when Jer and I were in NYC, we each bought a pair of shoes - tradition, its what we do. He bought a gray pair of New Balance shoes and I bought these...

My intentions were to start running again to A) lose my baby fat and B) work my way up to running a marathon...more specifically, the New York Marathon. Long story short, when Jer and I arrived in NYC, we were a little early to check in to our hotel, so we decided that we would grab some lunch at a corner pizza shop near the hotel we stayed in for our honeymoon. It was a great thought....we hopped on the "N" train (its yellow) and we got off at the Queensboro Plaza, only to find the street below packed to the gills with runners, walkers and people in wheelchairs. It was one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen in my life. I just turned to Jeremiah and said, "I want to do this!!!".

Well this morning, I was on Brooke Taylor's (Radio personality for 95.5) blog and she is training for the Cleveland Marathon...so I went on to their website (http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/ ) and I checked out the details...It is in 8 weeks so I am going to have to train 5 or 6 days out of the week...which is fine. I have a goal set and I am going to do it....

I want to cross that finish line in NYC and have that medal put around my neck...its the big picture...

The Next Lance Armstrong...

2007-03-22T06:50:00.000-05:00

....well not exactly like Lance Armstrong, maybe better. :)

I am just loving this warm weather, I woke up this morning and it was 63 degrees out! I think I might take the kids out for morning outside time. (If it doesn't rain...)

So yesterday, we (Jeremiah, Pat and I) had to go to court because Aberdeen Commons is suing us for $15,000 dollars!!! So they aren't going to get that much, they tried to get us on things that we didn't do, and I don't think the judge bought it. Worst case scenario, we have to pay a couple hundred dollars for rent for March of 2006, mind you, out lease was up February 23, 2006. I know what your thinking, we weren't living there in March...well they require a tenant to give them 60 days written notice if they plan to vacate the premises, which I only have them 32 days notice, because for some reason, I thought it was 30 days...like any other normal apartment complex. Just goes to show you, ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT!

We need our own house...

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Part Deux...

2007-03-20T11:04:00.000-05:00

Jer and I just reserved a hotel room in NYC (well Queens...love it!) for Thanksgiving! We are headed to the best city in the world for the best parade in the world!

We figured that Jack will be a little over a year (which is how old Juliana was when we took her in 2004), so we should all have a great time. We are going to be gone from Wednesday, November 21st -Saturday, November 24th, which should give us a decent amount of time to do the "Family in NYC" thing...

so, yea!! :)

Sorry...

2007-03-14T07:12:00.000-05:00

I can totally tell that this is going to be a bad habit of mine...I've already broken my resolution, who keeps up with those things anyways?? :)

Juliana is the best big sister in the WORLD! She loves to do things for Jack and she loves being the little mother. I walked into their playroom and this is what I found...

Enjoy! :)

Big Guy.

2007-02-24T09:11:00.000-05:00

This is Jack :)

He is almost 6 months old (!) and he has started to hold his own bottle!

I cant believe how HUGE he is getting. I mean, he was huge to begin with, so I'm not exactly surprised, but he is just growing up....as children tend to do.

Speaking of growing up, Jer and I are checking into Pre-Schools for Juliana. We think it would be a good idea if she went to school a couple days a week to get her ready for the big "K" (Kindergarten). I cant believe that she is going to be 4 this year!!

I guess they're right when they say "Time flies when you're having fun.".

That's Salary....

2007-02-23T22:16:00.000-05:00

So, I'm doing this dishes this morning and I reached under the sink for the dish soap - and lo' and behold there is a HUGE puddle of water hanging out under the pipes. So my little "plumber" decides that she can fix the problem....with her crack sticking out....just like a true plumber. She makes me so proud....

God is so good.

2007-02-16T09:35:00.000-05:00

It just amazes me how much God takes care of his people. I just wanted to share what happened this week:

Jer and I started tithing to our church last Sunday. It was something we weren't doing that we just felt that we needed to get back into the habit of doing. Well, yesterday I got a check in the mail from Fairview Hospital for pretty much the exact amount that we tithed on Sunday. God is so amazing. He knows exactly what we need and he surely delivers.

Just thought I would share that little story - hope all is well!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2007-02-14T11:25:00.000-05:00

This morning, Juliana and I made Valentine's Day cookies and cards for daddy. Seeing that it is near blizzard conditions outside, I was NOT going anywhere with the kids, so we stayed inside and used our creative thinking :)

My little girl is a great thinker...

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Cute Kid

2007-02-01T07:22:00.000-05:00

My kid is cuter than yours.

Thats it :)

My Little Pampered Chef!

2007-01-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

Seriously...how cute is this??? She is my little Pampered Chef clone! These little apron/hat sets will be discontinued on February 28th, so if you have kids and they like to cook...get one now!! :) She's cute, that's all.

Free Energy Releaser

2007-01-27T07:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I took the kids (more so Juliana thank Jack) to Great Northern Mall and let her run around in their kids area for about 45 minutes. She had a blast!! We went at the perfect time - there were only about 3 other kids there, so she pretty much had reign over anything she wanted. It was nice to get them out of the house - and it was FREE! I figure getting the kids out 3 times a week for kid stuff is plenty for a baby and a 3 year old.

This week was Week #2 of their library sessions...Juliana loves it! There are about 21 kids in her group and shes already managed to buddy up with another little girl - her name happens to be Juliana...what are the odds?

I know Juliana probably will be a little embarrassed to read this in the future, but....Juliana went poopy in the potty!! Too bad the circumstances were uncomfortable. She had a little diarrhea and that surely wasn't so comfortable in her pants, so she sat on the potty for about 10 minutes and did her business... She was so excited that mommy was so excited!!

"It Smells like Water...."

2007-01-23T19:12:00.000-05:00

After getting her bath, Juliana ran downstairs into the kitchen where Jer was and said, "Smell my hair dad..". Jer replied, "mmmm whats it smell like??", she said, "It smells like water.".

She is too much. I love the picture above, I stole it from my sister's myspace page. (hehe)

Meet Jack, he is now my little puppy. I got this hat right after New Year's. when my mom was here. We found it at Target for 50% off...seriously, I love Target. It came with little mittens with paw prints on it - Jack hates them because he cant get his fingers in his mouth...hehe. We had to retire the brown bear hat that we got from this rockin' kids retail store in NYC (a couple doors down from Serendipity). Jack's head is just getting way to big..glad it wasn't this big when he was born....

Kids say the darndest things....

2007-01-22T07:36:00.000-05:00

So, we were on our way to church yesterday morning (sans daddy) and literally not 3 minutes from my house, my battery dies. Juliana was in the backseat watching Clifford the Big Red Dog on her "Video Now" Player and she looks out the window and says, "Mom, why aren't we going?". So I looked in my rear view mirror at her and I said, "Baby, mommy's battery died, my car wont go.". So she looks out the window for a few minutes and then she says, " Here mommy, you can borrow my batteries from my movie....".

She is so kind hearted and she likes to fix EVERYTHING. That's why my little girl is going to save the world.

Jack and Mommy Time

2007-01-16T16:43:00.000-05:00

Jack and I started a new weekly ritual, well for the next 6 weeks. I registered the kids for a "Story Time Session" at Fairview Park Library. (Thanks Mel, sorry we didn't register in Bedford, but its just so darn far to drive 5 times a week...church, dad's, library etc...) There were about 8 other babies (Jack was the youngest one there, by babies I mean walking babies) and their mommies and a children's librarian guided us through songs, rhymes and story books. Jack really enjoyed it, he smiled ALOT. Juliana's session is on Thursdays and she is really excited about it!!! My babies are going to be the smartest kids on the block.

:)

Weekend.

2007-01-15T09:32:00.000-05:00

That's my little Jack, in daddy's huge sleeping bag...

Jer went camping this weekend with the boy scout troop...so me and the kiddies had an eventful weekend at home.

Saturday, we went to granny's house and my cousin, Kelli and her kids (Dominic and Ella) were there eating BBQ sauce and nuggets - literally BBQ sauce more than nuggets. Then the fun started. Juliana always loves to play with her cousins and tonight proved it...Granny's living room was "tore up yo", the curtains were over the couch, EVERY drawer in that room was open, they found my sister's candy stash and red hots were all over the floor. (Rach, that's why your candy stash was on your bed.) I wish I would have brought the camera....fun times.

Juliana ran out of pull-ups on Saturday night so I had to put her panties on for night time, which I was very leery about, seeing as she has never slept in her underwear. I put a night light in the hallway and left the shower light on in the bathroom. I took down the baby gate that we keep in front of her door and moved it to Jack's door so she wouldn't bug him in the morning. Well, Lo and Behold, she was dry. Its still something we have to work on because yesterday at nap time, she went through 2 pairs of panties and she was wet this morning. (One step at a time....)

Jackson is starting to move. I went into his room a couple days ago after nap time and he wasn't where I put him down at...he was diagonal at the top of his mattress. He's starting to scoot. And he is also starting to hold his toys all by himself and of course he wants to chew, chew, chew. But no teeth yet.... (One step at a time....)

Jer came home yesterday morning, and I'm kind of glad. We really missed him.

(Sorry for the long update - its been a few days since I have been able to update.)

Have a great week!!!

My little Sleeping Bea...er Snow White.

2007-01-11T08:16:00.000-05:00

Last night, Jer and I took Juliana for her "Gurbrise" (surprise). We took her to see Disney on Ice, Princess Wishes at the "Q" - which we got great tickets from e-bay....8 rows from the ice! All day yesterday, we were prepping Juliana up for her special surprise, when we would ask her what she thought her surprise was, she would say.."a scooper???". So the kids took their naps and we ate dinner, then we got Juliana ready. We dropped little Jack off - cause lets face it, Cinderella is "girl stuff".... and then we headed for the train station. Juliana is so easy to please because I heard from the backseat, "thanks for my surprise mom!". I let her know that this was PART of her surprise. SO we get downtown and my dad met us at the entrance, then we headed to the show. She was completely AMAZED!!! Our money was well spent and by the time we got home, she was completely zonked...which explains the goofy picture to the left. It was a great time that I am sure she will talk about for days to come :)

What???

2007-01-09T07:58:00.000-05:00

So...this stinks.

I have been sick since late Saturday night and it doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. I cant hear out of my left ear because it is so blocked, I cant breathe (not literally, of course), and my throat feels like its on fire.

I was supposed to take the babies to see granny yesterday but I accidentally fell asleep (sorry Granny, I will be over this weekend, most likely...)

On a lighter note, Jack likes green beans :)

Little Mother....

2007-01-06T20:55:00.000-05:00

This evening in the car, on our way home from the mall, Jackson was crying (#1 he was in his car seat and #2 he was hungry...). Now this crying had been going on for about 10 minutes and we had tried numerous attempts to get Jack to stop crying. Jer looks at me and says, "Let her go, I want to see what she does...". So all of a sudden, we hear Juliana yelling at her brother (in her big mommy voice), "JACKSON, YOU LISTEN TO ME, STOP CRYING RIGHT NOW!!!" and what do you know, silence. I wonder where she gets that from....

I should probably head upstairs to help Jer with Jack, he has been screaming for almost an hour now, although, I cant tell if he is crying or if its all in my head.....

Ouch....

2007-01-05T22:32:00.000-05:00

Poor babies.....

We had an appointment today with Dr. Faraci - Jack, for his 4 month check up, which meant 4 shots! and Juliana, for a general check up. She got 2 shots today, but now she is caught up on her shots...seeing as she hasn't been to the doctor since her 12 month check up...i know, i know (bad mommy.)

To make it up to the kids, well more so Juliana than Jack, we took her to Cici's Pizza - for those of you who don't know what Cici's is, its a pizza buffet. She picked at various slices of pizza and then decided she was done with lunch. So we went home and doped the kids up with Children's/Infant Tylenol and put them to sleep - Thank God for nap time!!!

Hopefully tomorrow, they will be more pleasant.

Jx4

Thank you Gerber....

2007-01-05T12:53:00.000-05:00

Baby LOVES sweet potatoes!! We had our first go at it yesterday morning and last night for dinner, and that big haus ate one whole container!! (Good thing Target is having a sale on baby food until Saturday....)

More updates later :)

Happy 2007!!

2007-01-03T17:35:00.000-05:00

This...is my resolution. Well one of them. I know what you're thinking, how often do you actually go through with those sort of things....almost NEVER, right?

okay-okay, but I am going to try really hard. :)

This blog will be used to catch everyone up on our chaotic but WONDERFUL life and all of the growing that the babies and the mommy and daddy will endure.

So from here on out, I do solemnly swear that I will try to keep you updated all, well most of the time, whenever I dont have a 3 year old tugging on my arm, or a baby drooling all over me, or a husband that....well you know :)

Enjoy :)

the lamsons!