Mommy's Reading Again

Now that we're getting used to our new schedule, I've started to get back into things I enjoy. Mark and I have been tackling our yard and garden again. Which feels so good! There is just something, about digging in the dirt, that heals the soul!

And during the day, I'm finding a lot of "down time." Probably because I'm getting up earlier. Much earlier. And I get so much housework done. By the time I get Elena to school, I'm usually completely caught up with the cleaning. OK, there is still laundry to do. But that just kind of does itself. You know, throw it in the machine, and it washes.

When the girls go down for their naps, I'm sorta without anything to do. I mean, there is always something to do, but I actually have some free time. Well, I'm working on this project for me. Which makes me so happy! And I've started reading again.

With that, I've leaned on some friends for book suggestions. Things that will interest me. And aren't too crazy. I've also been reading my Bible a lot more. Which really heals my soul!! But recently, I've really gotten into this book.



Now I've read other books by Jennifer Weiner. They really are good. But I'd never read this one before. Which is about the "suburbs." And a murder. Which has had me completely "hooked," all week long!

I have Lola to thank for introducing me to Jennifer's books. And Cam to thank for this book. So around 11AM, I've probably got this book in my hand. Oh, and a sweet treat in the other! A

Last Week of Summer

Today marks our last week of summer. Officially. Elena starts school next Monday!! Yes, I'm still not sure about this whole thing. But you know, she's growing up. And we have to let her. You know, she still needs her momma to guide her on her way. And I'm definitely here for that!

But I wanted to do something special to start off our week. And I wasn't quite sure what to do. I called my friend Lola. Funny how that works. She has no kids, but I ALWAYS turn to her!

And what did Lola suggest? Maybe a mini shopping trip. To buy a special little something, to take to school. Something that would remind Elena of home. And of course, a new book! Thanks again Lola! We have on happy girl on our hands!!

Mark even wanted in on the fun! So he's taking a "half day." And I've got the girls this morning. Just enjoying the good life. In our pjs. We watched some cartoons, snacked on fruit, and now the girls are napping.

And when they wake up, we'll get ready to head out. They know about all this. And our adventure to a local bookstore. We like to shop local when we can. So the little bookstore it is. And hopefully, we can find a cute surprise, while we're out. Before all this...a little summer treat!!

And what is this exactly? An orange coke float. Another idea from Lola. :) I should have remembered these, from when we were younger. Lola would always ask for a coke float, with orange soda. She said it reminded her of Dreamsicles. Yum!



Doesn't that just sound yummy? I think so! And it's a nice way to kick off our week. We're also planning a bigger adventure on Friday. I'm a little nervous, about my baby going to school. So I'm going to enjoy every last second of her, this week! Remembering the days, before she went to school, and was still my baby girl! A

Cute and Refreshing

This has been a busy week. I feel like all holidays, kind of make the week a little more crazy than normal. But we wouldn't have it any other way! Seriously. Because on Wednesday, we got to spent the day with our friends and family. At my SIL and BIL's Ranch. Which let me tell you, is a nice change of pace.

And now that we're settling back into our routine, it's been refreshing. Is my family the only one, that completely thrives on a solid routine? Because we do! It's almost like clockwork. And it works well for us.

Along with our little routine, I'm excited about this Crochet Along. My friend Lola, and her goddaughter are hosting it. And well, I'm just a sucker for some good "kid stuff!"



I've signed up. And actually started working ahead. I figure, I need all the help I can get. With 3 little girls, I don't get lots of time to crochet. On top of that, I'm not a fast crocheter. Let's hope I get it done by the end of the Crochet Along. That's my goal. I'd feel very accomplished. Oh, and there's still time to sign up if you're interested! A

Now That There's 3...

I LOVE my girls. But now that there are 3, life is just a bit more complicated. I turned to Mindy for some help. Sunday mornings have always been a bit stressful. We're trying to get to church on time. With kids, it gets a bit more complicated. But with 3, I'm finding, it's a little overwhelming.

My big girls, don't like Mark to comb their hair. They'll let him, get them dressed. Even fed. But I have to comb their hair. And Sofia, she's got to eat. Something else, that Mark can't help with.

All of this, has led to me, throwing on a maxi dress, sandals, and putting my wet hair, in a bun. I've got a cardigan in the car, at all times, for just this reason. And we still get to church, as the bells begin to ring. :(



This week, I found this video. Watched it 5 times. Laid out everyone's clothes. Saturday afternoon. And set the alarm. 2 things happened Sunday morning. One, we got to church with 5 minutes to spare. Two, I felt better. My hair was combed. I had a chance to throw on some lipgloss. And I felt confident. Put together. Thank you Mindy, for the idea. It may not seem like a lot, but it definitely changed, my now crazy Sunday mornings! A

Happy Easter!!

I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Easter!! From our house to yours. We're happy to be home. Enjoying our new family of 4!! The Easter Bunny made his way to our house. And we're all happy. :)



Elena, Ofelia, and Mark are reading from the girls' new Easter books. Learning about Jesus. The entire sight, makes me happy! While Sofia and I, are just relaxing. Wishing that we had made this sign. For our house!! Have a wonderful and blessed Easter!! A

So Sweet!!!

It's no secret, that this is our 3rd baby. In our family, we have 1 baby shower. For the first baby. After that, people are still happy for you. With each additional baby. But everyone feels like, now you know what to expect. You should have things from your previous babies to use. A little more on your feet. And your now a mommy, and know a little more about what's ahead.

I think this is a good thing. You celebrate with family, and get advise, the 1st time around. After that, people still bring gifts by. But it's a little more low key. I really like that. Our other babies are not loved less. It's just more low key.

So what happened yesterday, really surprised me! Lola has been in town. Her uncle past away over the weekend. But while the family has been trying to make arrangements, I've gotten to spend some much needed time, with my friend. Who has also been working on baby girl's nursery. :)

Yesterday, I had already agreed to be out of the house. So Lola could finish the nursery. I figured that, as a family, we'd get to see it complete after dinner. The girls and I, left early in the morning. Met my FIL for breakfast. And then we went shopping. About an hour into shopping, Lola called me. And asked if I could come home. I thought, oh no! What happened?

We headed home.When we got here, I was shocked! Lola and Lorenzo planned a "Baby Tea Party" for us! I'm pretty sure that I've said it before, but Mark's family owns a business. Lorenzo runs it. Mark, his brothers, and cousins all work for it. So they got to take the day off, with no problems. My MIL took the day off of work. As did Mr. and Mrs. S, lots of friends, and more family!

This was such a nice and unexpected surprise. It wasn't about the presents. But we really did appreciate those! All of them. :) It was about getting time with our family and friends. Seeing how happy they are, for us. Starting this new chapter, in our lives.



The food was plentiful. Something tells me, Lola spent all night cooking! This was definitely my favorite! If you haven't made it yet, run out and buy all the ingredients. It's super simple. And so delicious!

The day was perfect! Lots of food, friends, and family. An easy going day. Nothing too complicated. Lots of celebrating our baby girl. And our big girls too! And to top it all off, Lola and Lorenzo finished the nursery. Little did I know, it was finished the other night. When they came over, with a few friends. And let me tell you, it's beautiful!

Now I really can't wait for our baby girl to come! This is such a special time in our lives. And we have so many wonderful people, in our lives. We are blessed! Yesterday showed Mark and I, that we picked the perfect Godparents for our daughter. It was not about the gifts or party, but about the love, that they showered our family with! A

What to Plant????

Recently, the girls and I went to Family Dollar. They were having a "Baby Sale." And I wanted to pick up some baby washcloths, look for some headbands, and maybe look through the garden section.

Well, we left with quite of big bunch of stuff. And I thought, well, we'd be set for planting. After I picked up 4 packs of baby washcloths, 2 bundles of headbands, and a necklace for me, we headed to the garden stuff.

By the way, the necklace wouldn't ring up. And it was super cute!! A chunky beaded necklace. Usually, they'll sell it for a quarter or so. Sometimes a dollar. Because it's usually "out of season." And they're trying to get rid of the stock. But this time, they threw it in the trash!!! Really, I was just shocked!!! Family Dollar, did you read that??? The lady in front of me, they must of thrown away 10 pieces of jewelry, and 5 pieces of clothing. CRAZINESS!!! And she was not too happy. She left the $100 worth stuff, that they had rung up to that point, and left the store!!!

Back to the garden stuff. Sorry about that mini rant. I just had to get it off my chest. :) I decided to let the girls help out. Since they already knew, they weren't going to get any toys. Ofelia was definitely excited about all the "Garden Animals." Especially the bunnies!! We came home with about 12 different animals. For under $20. We also picked up some metal hanging things. To put in the yard, and then hang flower baskets from.

Elena was definitely into the seeds. I'm a little embarrassed to say this, we left with $15 worth of seeds. I know!! And they're either 4 or 5 packs for $1. Can you just imagine how many packs of seeds we have. :) Maybe I should have been paying better attention to Elena. But she was pretty excited. And this purchase, should be bringing us happiness, for a long time!!

I was going through all these seeds earlier. And what did I notice? Only 5 packs of those seeds, are for food!! The rest are flowers. I guess my girl, wants lots of pretty flowers. We now have seeds for watermelons, pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, and jalapenos. Can you tell what Elena likes to eat?? :)



Well, this leads to a little dilemma. What should we plant this year? Since we pretty much have to do all our garden shopping still, I need to make a plan. We have garden boxes. :) It makes things a little easier for us. I'm thinking squash, plenty of tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapenos, lots of herbs, pumpkins, watermelons, strawberries, and maybe some eggplant. I wonder how hard, it is to grow sweet potatoes....

Do you have any other ideas, of what I should buy? What we should plant? What are some of your favorite things? It doesn't have to be seeds. We'd be happy to buy plants. We can even talk about flowers, bushes, and trees. Because we want to add some more color to our yard. I'd love to hear your thoughts!! A

We Finally Picked One!!!!

A name!! Mark and I finally agreed on a name. With only a month before her arrival, it's nice to have a name picked for our baby girl! We decided to follow our past behavior, and to not tell anyone. :) Except Lola and Lorenzo. Because they are going to be our baby girl's Godparents. And well, they need to come up with a middle name! But we're excited!!!

And a little sad at the same time. Since we're 99% sure, that this is going to be our last pregnancy. We're trying to soak up all the little things. To not anticipate them. Rather, live in the moment. And enjoy everything! But in one month, at least our daughter will have a name!!! A

Just Happy

Saturday was my birthday. I don't think it's a special day. I've always been funny about my birthday. I think, that's why I make such a big deal, out of my daughters' birthdays. :) But I have this amazing husband. That likes to spoil me. And our daughters. This year, he was extra sweet! To his extremely pregnant wife.

First came breakfast in bed. Which was delicious! Our daughters joined us. With special little gifts, that they made with Mark. My heart was so full of love. As they snuggled with me. And told me, that God sent them to me. Just because he loves me. I'd have to say, God loves me so much, that he sent me, these precious little girls to love!

Mark then drove me to my favorite spa. Where Cam was waiting for me. And we spent the entire day, getting pampered! Oh it was heaven. I got my hair cut, a magnificent prenatal massage, and a mani-pedi. Honestly, it was just what I needed. And before that day, I didn't even know it!

When Cam dropped me ff at home, I was so happy. And relaxed. I didn't expect to walk into a quiet house. With a delicious dinner waiting for me. And all my favorite movies. Yes, the perfect quiet night. With the man I love!

I still can't believe that Rems and Cam watched our daughters until this morning. Or that we literally spent the most incredible weekend alone. At home. Not doing much. Just enjoying each other's company. Much like we did, when we first got married.



Mark is the kind of husband, that will always make me feel, like that 16 year old girl. Who's heart raced, the minute she saw him. He'll always protect me. And our family. Most importantly, he'll always be here for us, and love us.

I got some amazing presents. I got a fun treat, of going to the spa. Amazing meals cooked all weekend. But the one gift, that my husband can't wrap up, he gives me every day. His love. And that's all I need! A

For Our Baby

Yesterday, we shared with our family and friends, and you too, that we're expecting a baby girl! Honestly, we're thrilled! I always thought, in the back of Mark's mind, that he might want a little boy. But he honestly doesn't. He cried, when we saw her, for the first time. Every ultrasound picture we've gotten, he takes and frames them. Makes a copy, to put in his wallet. Yes, my husband is a "Girl Daddy." And he loves it!

I'm so excited too! I wasn't sure, how I'd handle a boy. I think it would be fun, and interesting, to have a son. I watch my BILs and my own brother, with their sons. It blows my mind, just how different girls and boys are. But I'm so excited, that we're having another girl. Our daughters, are over the moon! As much as a 3 and 1/2 year old, and 22 month old can be. :)



In the back of mind, over a year ago, I'd seen this pattern. Lola was making it. And I always hoped, that I'd have another daughter. And I'd learn to crochet. Just so I could make it for her! The first thing I did this morning, was print out this pattern. I have just over four months, to finish this project! I've dreamt about it for so long! And now, I can't wait to meet our little girl! A

Learning to Crochet

Lola has been in town. Since her dad got sick. I'm not exactly sure, just how long she's going to be here. But we're all enjoying her company! Very much! There have been many lunches. Lots of trips to the library. And a few runs to the store.

One thing that I've always wanted to learn, is how to crochet. And anyone that knows Lola, knows that she is skilled! So is her mom. :) I watched as Lola, mindlessly crocheted in the hospital. And it just intrigued me.

A few days ago, I asked Lola to show me the basics. We went to Hobby Lobby, and stocked up, on supplies. And one night, we had her over for dinner. Mark agreed to clean up the kitchen after dinner. So that we could get started. :)



I was hooked from the very beginning! Every time we go visit her dad, I bring along my crochet. Just so I could ask a question or 2. From Lola, or her mom. Right now, I'm working on this blanket. In these colors. For Elena. Lola insisted, that it's a very basic pattern. And it really is easy. Even for this beginner. I'm slowly coming along!

When I finish it, I want to start a pink and turquoise one for Ofelia. This might take a while, but I'm OK with that. I never realized, just how calming crocheting is. Thank you Lola! You've taught me something, that I've wanted to do for years. And I love it! A