Fiona's Ouchie

As if this week has not brought enough chaos to our family, Fiona showed up with nice split lip yesterday after tripping over some toys and hitting the TV stand. I was on the telephone trying to schedule an appointment, and Macy came screeming up the stairs that Fiona was bleeding. I did take her to the clinic, but the one and half hour wait was too much for us. We made it an hour, but I just could not handle the wild others any more. The nurses recommended stitches or a butterfly bandage, but said that they would only help with the scaring and keeping out infection. At the time, I figured it wasn't life threatening and that I had better just get the kids home before they were in need of some medical care from falling off of the chairs or something. This picture is the best one that we could get last night. After dinner, Stuart and Macy went out back to play. He came crying up the stairs and in the back door a few minutes later. Macy said that he was stung by a bee. He was complaining about his ear and his middle finger. Sure enough, he was swelling up. We gave him some Benedryl and an ice pack for the finger. He did manage to return to the "non-hurting" stage before bed. We never did find a stinger, so we're assuming it was a wasp instead.

Grady just said that he found a wasp nest inside of the kids' slide on their swing set while he was out weedeating the yard. The holes in the slide were just big enough for them to get in. He sprayed the heck out of it, so hopefully we've got the problem under control. We'll keep you updated.

The Date IS Set!!!!

Just to let you all know, we have scheduled Baby #4 to meet our family on Monday, August 13, 2007, at around 8:00 a.m. The kids are so excited that we are going to make a count-down chain for the big event. I'll keep you posted just in case things change.

Opinions on Sheets Please

Okay, this is a crazy one, but I need some help with sheets. We have been through so many different ones lately that I am beginning to wonder if it is just the fact that I am fat and uncomfortable right now. Okay, here it goes....

We've had the jersey sheets....way to hot for me. And so were the flannel ones. Even in winter months.

Before the new bed, Grady's mom bought us some Egyptian Cotton sets. I loved the softness of them, but they seemed too heavy and not very breathable (is that a word?), in other words, I was too hot. We went back to the cheep ones from Pamida.

When we got the larger bed, I bought some Sateen (more like satin) sheets that did not stay on the bed and my rough summer feet snagged in them, so I chose to sleep on top of the entire bedding, or wear socks....which got very old.

So, now, we are in 540 ct. Pima Cotton sheets from Costco. I love the fact that they are so smooth, but not snaggy. However, I seem to get itchy in them. It could be this cold/allergy deal that I've got going on right now. I am sleeping on top of the blankets again.

What is everyone else sleeping on? Our AC runs all night, so the house is staying around 73. I did find out that the AC works on removing the moisture from the air, so this could have something to do with it, but I can't win here. I was used to the swamp cooler, which pumped the house full of humidity, so do you think that this is the ultimate problem?

Your imput would be appreciated. Maybe this will all solve itself in a few more weeks when the fat belly is gone and I'm so tired that I can sleep anywhere. I guess we'll see. Have a wonderful weekend...it's gonna be a hot one here.

Summer Fun with Century 21

We were invited to a BBQ at the Zoo Saturday. Our real estate firm puts one on every year. We went just as the zoo closed, and there was tons of fun to do. Here are some pictures of the fling. They had 13 swimming pools set up with water guns, soaker balls, and beach balls in all. The kids couldn't wait to jump in.
There was also this two man band that played for the entire time. Here's Macy walking in front of them.
Fiona enjoying a snow cone, most of which was dumped out by now.
My husband, or should I say my oldest kid, enjoying the water guns too!
And one last picture of them all. Grady and I did eventually get into a water fight with each other. I was soaked, and I must admit that I did get him pretty well too, considering. Let's just say that I wasn't as sneeky as I should have been. It was a wonderful day for the party. The temperature was around 100, and the waterfight was a nice way to cool off.

We won a prize, Stuart picked out some horse shoe-ring toss game so that everyone could play. Macy was really wanting me to pick out a princess deal, but I didn't think that was fair to the others. We also brought home one of these swimming pools and some water guns too. What a very nice deal this was for the friends, families, and clients of Century 21.

The Making of a Log Bed

Grady and his Uncle Tim made us a new log bed frame for our king bed. Here are some pictures that I took of the process. After we spent some time picking out the logs (looking through piles and piles of logs of different widths and colors), they cut them down to the sizes that we needed. Tim then drilled partial holes in the posts for the headboard and footboard. Here's Grady cutting some of the logs down to size with the supervision of Pa, his grandpa. He came out to check on the guys a few times.
Once the logs were cut to size and drilled, it was time to plane every one down for a smoother finish. This was Grady's job, but Tim is demonstrating here.
He also had to cap the ends of the logs to either fit into the holes drilled for the frame (below) or a lot less for the "capped" look of each post (you'll see below). And, no, Tim, I didn't get any behind pictures of you...however, I really liked this one of the smile!
Grady using the planer. He spent quite a bit of time out there doing this. It makes some great shavings that the kids loved to play with. Each of these beds are hand planed, not mass machined like some I've seen.

After renting a Uhaul to bring it home in, Grady put the bed together in the garage to apply some finish. He used a finish that has some more shine than the other two beds we have had. It brought out the color very well, and makes the wood have a "wet" look. It is now in our room, and we have our headboard that we've been missing since the move. I need to take a picture of it all together now, but haven't had the time yet. It's quite a process to get one of these made, but they are so worth it. We love our log beds and just need to get one for Stuart's room sometime. Grady would like a bunk bed, but it may be a while to convice Tim to make one, something about liability (not for family though, right?).

Just a little educational class for you all. I enjoyed watching this process and was telling my mother about it, so I had to get these posted just for her. Have a great week everyone!

Vacation Pictures

I had to share some of our vacation pictures with everyone. We had a wonderful week away.

Macy and Talon (one of Grady's twin cousins). They had a great time playing with each other. The boys are only a few months younger than Macy. They shared their toys and trampoline with the kids and the four of them had a great time together.
Stuart and Talon driving around Gramma and Pa's deck in Monroe. This trike has definately gotten it's time of fun with these kids running around.
Macy and Olivia (Grady's cousin's daughter, she is only a few months younger than Macy). These two were together the entire time we were in Wenatchee. They had a blast. We were getting ready for the firework display that the town put on down at a park along the Columbia River. It was a great show that lasted about 30 minutes. It only took us 45 minutes to get out of the parking lot when the show ended. Good thing the kids were so tired that they all fell asleep and I kept my cool very well there too.
Stuart swimming in Grandma Rose's pool. They lived in this pool for two and a half days. Tons of sun block and Macy suffered some rashes from these life jackets. We had to transform her swim attire (you'll see in the next picture). She got a large rash/burn from the strap that goes under the jacket, and some around her neck and arm pit area. A little ointment and refraining from the sunscreen and she was back on track.
Here are the babies and Grandma Rose. Macy and Olivia had matching swimming suits, but we had to put Macy in shorts for the last day or so because of the ouchies. Fiona had a top to this swim diaper bikini, but chose to go without. My babies are all about comfort! We managed to make it through with Fiona only climbing in and out on the first step. She was not having anyone take her any further into the pool. She dove onto the step only to be rescued a couple of times, but it never stopped the swimming fun. They all asked to go back next summer for some more pool fun.

I've got to transfer some pictures from Grady's Mac and then I will post the bed process. Have a wonderful weekend.

The Trombleys DO Seattle

We went into Seattle today because I thought that the kids would love to visit Pike Place Market. I may have been a little selfish in that thought, be we did manage to have some fun and Stuart loved watching the fish be thrown. I have attached a picture of that, but have no idea in which order it loaded since this computer does not show me the actual picture. We also visited this arcade with the horse picture of Fiona. Macy loved being down at the water and kept wanting to go back that direction.

We also visited Grady's uncle's store today and I took Stu down the dock to get a picture of him and a big boat. We were hoping for some larger ones, but those ships must be out working right now, so he settled for the house boat. He also had some pictures in the orange overcoat like the fishermen wear. What a great day it was.

We lost our guide coming back from Seattle, so I had to turn into MOM-MOM. I did manage to get us back to Monroe, but I am not so sure that it was the most direct route. I had to skip the bed post since we took the day off. It should be assembled tomorrow so I can finish my photos and post. We're headed over the mountain for some visiting with the other side of the family tomorrow. I will try to get things updated again from there. I better get to bed. Good night.

Reptile Zoo

Macy has had a strong desire to see some snakes since we were at ZooMontana. While out here last year, we visited the Reptile Zoo here in Monroe. We made it back yesterday so that she could hold a snake. These pictures are of the children petting the tortoises and of Macy holding the snakes. She held everyone that they would let her hold. Stuart was pretty interested in the first one but would not holding any. Fiona did get in there to touch one too. The very last picture is of a large one wrapping itself completely around Macy. We really need to talk to her about snakes sometime soon...they're not all as fun and safe as these few were.

Grady and his uncle Tim are in the middle of making us a new bed. I have been taking pictures of the process, and will post them later when it is completed. We need to search for a trailer to haul it home now. We're off to Pike Place Market today and then heading back over the mountain for some swimming tomorrow. I'll try to keep you all updated, but am having some troubles adjusting to a Mac. Have a wonderful holiday week.

Saturday at the Zoo

We finally made it to the ZooMontana on Saturday. It is something that we've had on the "to do" list, but just never took the time. The kids had a blast and we now have a membership for it, so we'll probably visit more often. Here are Macy and Stuart showing off the Bald Eagle. What a pose they gave. Fiona really enjoyed the tiger. I didn't get a picture of her and it at the same time, but she thought it was neat.
And some fun posing of the older two.
One last photo to share of the peacock. There were a few running around. What pretty animals they are.
After the zoo, we went to a BBQ at some newly found friends' house. It was a wonderful way to get to know some families around here. The kids loved their time with other children and Grady and I got to visit with some other adults.

Grady didn't get a break from house duties this weekend though. He took out a few bushes in the front yard (what a great change that made), and is now digging out some of the backyard to level a spot for the trampoline. A couple of people have asked if we were putting in a swimming pool. I'll try to get some pictures to share of it later.

Our friends in Alaska have taken on a new family. As of Friday, they have become foster parents for two brothers. We're praying that it will turn out well for them and possibly an adoption. They have a newborn (as of the 21st), and his 15 month old brother. What a bunch of cuties they are. We're very excited for you Jeff and Deana. Keep us posted and call if you have any parenting questions....we've got some the same age!

Other than that, we're gearing up for our trip to Washington this weekend. I'll keep you posted on that too.

More Painting Pictures

Grady completed our bathroom today. Here is the before: And the after (we still need to get a new window covering):
Last night her finished Macy's bedroom while she and Stuart had a slumber party. Here is her before:
And after:

She loves it! I better go get a visit in with him before he goes to bed. Enjoy!

a RED kitchen!

We (actually, GRADY) has been busy today repainting some of the rooms in the house. The first one that was completed was the kitchen & dining area. We painted over the terra cotta/salmon color with red. I love it, and had to share it with you all. Here is a "before" picture that was taken prior to closing on the house.

And the "after".

Lots has changed since that first picture. It's amazing to look at it this way.

As the kitchen was drying, he put a coat of white on the master bath ceiling and is now working on Miss Macy's bedroom. She chose pink and purple for it, so I will post when it is done.

Slippin' Hill Slide

After church and naps today we took out the new slip n' slide for the kids. Grady actually went inside and changed into some shorts to join them. What an afternoon full of laughs we had. I filled the memory stick on the camera with pictures and had to take out the camcorder. Here are a few of the many that I took to share.

Let the races begin!

The Biggest Splash!

Fiona just hung around the edge for the laughs. She isn't quite sure about the spraying water deal yet. Stuart loves water and was running through the sprinklers yesterday as Grady was adjusting the new ones he put in. Macy took a few minutes to warm up the the spraying part, but in the end loved it. They rode on Grady's back down the slide a few times and just had a blast. I was tempted to try it out since it was so warm outside, but was very afraid to put on a bathing suit since the only thing I could have fit in was a bikini, and that just didn't seem quite right. Have a great week everyone.

New Kitchen

We've spent the past two nights installing the new overhead microwave and dishwasher. What a chore those turned out to be. I had to share the pictures of the "new" kitchen.

This dishwasher has the buttons on the top of the door. With Fiona and the last one, that will be a major benefit. It also came with a turbo wash option that will be nice for extra dirty things.
The stove and microwave are definately larger than any that I've ever had. Let's just see if I can actually cook that much at one time. The refrigerator is the "no print" type. Something else that will be wonderful with all of these kids running around.
That's our day today. Tomorrow we start in on laying pavers under the deck for some much needed storage area...to save on garage space. I'll update you later, I have to get some kids to bed. Have a wonderful weekend.

We're Getting There

We managed to unpack enough stuff yesterday and last night to make room for the suburban in the garage. We still have things taking up the other bay, but as soon as we can get some earth work done in the backyard, the trampoline will be out, and when we are finished with the babies, we can gradually get those totes cleared out too. Grady is so excited to have a garage to himself. He's planning to put a TV in there (we'll see), so I told him that he could move the recliner out too. Ha, ha. A week ago, I would have never thought that we'd have the space to get that sucker in, but ta-da, we did it. I had Grady hang a tennis ball so that I could park the suburban in just enough for the door to close and then we could still have some space up front by the workbench. The plan is for that to be our project area. All of the scrapbooking things are under there, in hopes to have my own space someday. We're getting tackled by some serious thunderstorms, so I'm happy that we've got cover for the car. The thunder woke us up before six this morning, something I've never experienced was thunder that early. I better go get some more house work done so that we can get pictures up before photos of the inside go out. Have a great rest of the week.

Trombley Beach

After a quick thunderstorm, we went out to the backyard today to play. I guess that everyone was needing some time off from the unpacking. The kids picked out this "swimming pool" at Target today for their yard. Unfortunately, the yard is so sloped that we had to prop the back up just to keep the water from flooding down the hill. Macy and Stuart had a blast with it, but Fiona was not so impressed with the sprinkler feature. She enjoyed the overflow splashing up and down the yard until I turned the hose off and then she ventured into the pool area. It took a few minutes, but she did eventually sit in the water.
It's a pretty neat set up, but took alot of hot air on my part. I promised to have it ready for them if they napped, so I had to sit upstairs and blow to my heart's content. I did manage to achieve the goal, although I was unsure of it at the beginning.
We'll see just how long this thing lasts, I have some wild beach bums on my hands. We may try the front yard tomorrow since it is a little more level. Either way, the babies told their dad that they played at Trombley Beach today and really had a blast doing so.

I don't know if you can tell from these photos, but Stuart managed to get bit by something last night (I think on our walk) that has his left arm swollen to twice the regular size between the elbow and the wrist. I have him on a Benedryl schedule right now with anti itch cream to try to knock it down. If anyone has an idea on what to do about this rock hard lump, please let me know. Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine as much as my babies.

Too busy for Pictures

Well, I have been meaning to give everyone an update, but have failed in the photo taking process. We have been busy unpacking the house, yes, even the boxes that have not been looked in since they were packed last fall in Ten Sleep. What an early Christmas we've had. The kids have found some projects that they made at preschool and then had to pack, and are loving seeing things from then. They were fortunate enough to inherit a swing set with this house. Fiona has fallen in love with it and can't wait to go out. She will crawl down the stairs and get her shoes and then take them to Grady or I and say "ooosshhs". We are adapting well to the deck, but have not taught her how to scale those stairs yet. Otherwise, she is a stairway pro now. We managed to get shelving in the basement storage room for food, and then transformed the coat closet into a pantry for more food. This kitchen is halfway updated with new appliances, we are just waiting on the overhead microwave and dishwasher to arrive this week. I've been cleaning and loving the central air. Grady has managed to figure out the sprinkler system and make some adjustments there, but wants to replace some of those too. This weekend is the first time that we've hit the new bed earlier than midnight. I've oiled all of the cabinets in the house and that helped give them a new look. The kids and I planted a few flower pots yesterday to pretty up some spaces. They are enjoying having so much space to themselves and are loving their own bathroom too. They run all the way downstairs just to wash their hands in it before dinner. I have to still make some adjustments in their rooms and get their decor up on the walls, but they don't mind.

We did get the Ten Sleep house closed last Thursday. Grady and I drove down for that and left the babies at home with Grandma Rose. I took my sugar test at the doctor's office then, and failed it, so I may be heading back down sometime this week for the three hour test. I also had a terrible eye sore that I had looked at while in Worland. I was thinking that it was a scratch, but it ended up being a swollen spot from allergies...something that I only thought I suffered from during barley harvest. I had to refrain from contacts for a few days and use an antibiotic drop to keep it from getting infected, but did wear the contacts again today. Macy sure missed me wearing them....but not as much as I did.

We've gone on a few walks down the paths that pave this subdivision. What a wonderful idea that was....a great developer with a great design. We met the new Ward today and they were very welcoming and reminded me of home. So excited for the kids and so friendly. It was meant to be. We have Sister Missionaries here and they are so wonderful. Macy loves them. Other than that, I have nothing else to update. I will try to get some pictures taken for you all and get them posted soon. I hope that everyone is having fun and staying busy....maybe not as busy as we've been, but enjoying life. Have a wonderful week.

Quick Visit, Shopping Ouchie, Eating Mud

We went bed shopping at the Select Comfort store last Thursday night. Grady has been wanting one of these since I can remember. While we were there, Fiona fell over a stool and split the corner of her eye open. It wasn't deep enough to need stiches, but it sure hurt the poor girl. The picture is not clear, but I had to share her wound. My mom came in on Wednesday night. My brother, sister-in-law, and nephew were her to pick her up. They visited Wednesday night, and I took her through the new house Thursday. We did some quick shopping and then she went down to Worland. She came back up Saturday night and stayed to visit before heading home on Sunday evening. Her plane was delayed for a couple of hours, but security closed early, so she had to be through there and wait for the plane so we were not able to even sit at the airport to visit. She did make it home though. It was wonderful to have her here, if only for a short period of time. Here's a picture one of the kids took.
Yesterday the kids went outside to play. I was in a rush rush to get out invoices before really starting in on the packing. When I finally brought them back in to the house, Fiona had decided she wanted some facial hair. Here is the best picture I could get of her before I threw her in the tub. She loves to eat dirt. YUCK!
And, Macy purchased some pretty princess fake nails. She was so excited that she could not hold still enough for a clear picture, but you get the hint. She puts on stickers as fake nails, so these fit her perfectly.
We're down to the wire on closing. I have been dreading the packing and have been battling some terrible heartburn (thank you hairy babies). We're still waiting on appraisals for both houses, which should be in anytime now. I hope that they do not delay closing. We've got tons of help planned out for Friday to get the move over. I'll let you all know what comes along.