Family Pic

So this was not my idea...Greg needed to have a family picture to put on some website having to do with work. There is no way on this earth I would have a family picture while I'm in my last month of pregnancy. We could hardly get the kids to cooperate! They were taken in our newly landscaped backyard (I need to post pictures of that before it snows).

Notice that Ryder is waiting patiently with a smile on the fence for his picture to be taken. Greg is trying to figure out how to self time it. Finally had to ask someone else to take the picture.

Still trying to get ready for the picture.

Peyton, what's with the tongue!!

Hunter and Austin couldn't be serious the whole time.

Maybe this one will work...nope, melinda has pregnant face going on!!!

FOOTBALL!

Football is the best sport because it's in Autumn and I love Autumn. Both Hunter and Austin are playing this year. It's the first year I've let them play, for a few reasons...it's time consuming and I wanted them to be 100% committed, and it's expensive. Hunter has been asking for years to play, and after spending three weeks with his uncle who is head coach at Snow college, I felt he was ready to play. Austin...he's another story. He didn't want to play at first (mainly because I make them pay 1/2 of all sports they play), but then they opened up his division because they didn't have enough kids and I told him I actually wasn't giving him a choice. He needed something that made him work hard (he's a big kid).

I'm amazed at how both boys LOVE the sport. Hunter plays QB and plays on the defense team. I thought he'd panic the first few plays as these kids were coming at him to tackle him, but he's got a smart head on him and he's been playing awesome. They've won two games and lost one, so far. Hunter is #7 on the black team.

Austin weighs 127 lbs and is in the 4th grade (with all pads he weighs 138). So when he showed up at his first practice the coach says, "How much do you weigh, Haus?!?" He was surprised to have Big Aust on the team because we signed up the day of first practice and he wasn't on the coaches roster. He has played so well. He's very coach-able and does whatever he's told and you can tell as he plays. I hope both boys stick with the sport because I can see how much more confidence it's given them. Austin's teams has also won 2 games and lost one. Austin is #14 on the blue team.

A little bit confused

I'm just about on my last month of pregnancy, which means insomnia!!! It's like I'm sleeping fine one night and then the next I can't get comfortable, or I have restless leg syndrome, have to pee, etc. This is all beside the point...last night around 12:30 I wasn't sleeping well and I could see a light on in the hall. Not sure why, I got up to check it out. I could hear someone downstairs in the kitchen. When I peeked my head over the railing I could see Austin about to make his lunch for his first day of school. I asked what he was doing...he just kind of looked at me like "isn't it obvious". I told him to go back to bed because it was only 12:30 in the morning. He was really surprised. Then I noticed the lights were also on in his bedroom. I go check things out and Hunter is just getting out of the shower. I said why are you showering at 12:30 in the morning? He was surprised that it wasn't morning. He says "no wonder I feel so tired." They both don't know why they woke up, no alarm went off or anything. That's the kind of thing my brother would do to me...but nobody was trying to trick them. I guess they were just really excited to go back to school today!!

Happy 14th Anniversary!!

On August 2nd, 1997, I married the most amazing man. We dated for six years before we were married and I thought I knew the guy. Little did I know that each year we were/are together, the more I respect and love this man! He is such a great example to me and has a heart of gold. I'm thankful that he's in my life!!

Today we are 4!!!

Four years comes so fast! I can't believe that next year they will go to kindergarten. Happy Birthday to our crazy little boys that keep us on our toes...at all times :)

A few things

Our trip to Hawaii in April. With friends, Nichole and Kendall Skinner
Greg and I on the beach in Honolulu
Greg shaved the twins curls off in April. They keep asking when they are going to get their big hair back.
Hunter thought this would be the funniest picture, so he made greg shave only the top off.
This past Saturday we did the women's run for breast cancer. It's a five mile run. We are missing Anne Reed in this picture. But it was so fun to run with these girls. (Me, LouAnne (Erin's mom), Erin Nisonger, Kandace Clove (Greg's niece), Brooke Cook)
In April the key was left on the treadmill and Ryder decided to go for a run. He fell and sliced his face open. Greg usually stitches the boys up, but he wouldn't touch this one, either would the ER doctors. They brought in a plastic surgeon. He's healing really well, but it was so sad to see his poor face!
Friday night we hiked the Winners Creek trail in Girdwood. It was such a beautiful hike. Towards the end you had to pulley yourself across this river. Kandace, Austin and Peyton took the first turn.
Kandace (Greg's niece is living with us for the summer) and myself on hike.
Twins "baring" their bums on hike.
One night we saw two porcupines on our front porch. Greg opened the door to look at them and it acted like it was just going to come right in our house.

Bear Spray

So, I've carried bear spray in my car (to use for hiking) for the past five years and never had anyone bother it. I just moved the twins carseats to the back seat and I forgot that the spray is in a pocket back there. Tonight we (me, my niece Kandace, Aust, Peyton and Ryder) went for a drive to look for wildlife. On the way back from the Eagle River Nature Center we hear this pop and then a spraying noise. Then we hear Aust just screaming "Poison! Poison!" And he's coughing and then the twins are crying. Kandace turned around to see what was happening and it hit her right in the face. I luckily was driving and didn't turn around. I had just enough time to find a driveway (which was lucky coming back from ER Nature Center) and pull over and we all dive out of the car. No one could see for like 15 minutes and poor Aust was screaming because he was affected the most because he was sitting right in front of Peyton. It was a bad deal all around. While we were getting our vision back, I noticed we were all getting eaten alive by mosquito's. So I told everyone to get back in the car and we would drive down the road with windows down to get the rest of spray out of car. By the time we got home everyone was pretty calm...until the showers! I looked on-line and it said that the best thing to do was wash it off with water. So we all took showers. Ouch!!! That was almost just as bad as the spray itself! Everyone was in tears again. So I read on-line again and I see a different explanation of what to do if you get sprayed with bear spray and have no water around. You wipe it off with alcohol or bleach and rinse your eyes out with milk. I used some alcohol wipes on Aust since he was hurting the worst, but the rest of us just had to wait out the pain (about 15-30 minutes). I tell you what...I feel sorry for the bear that is going to dare show it's face while we are out hiking!!!

Think Blue!

So I know most of you know...but last week we found out that we are expecting a boy! Number five boy!! We are actually very excited to have all boys. Lot's of advantages...they can all share rooms, share clothes, beat up on each other, break all my valuables, keep me on my toes, but mostly I love little boys...it seems I have no other choice ;) I'm thinking that someone is paying me back for how much I thought my brother's were annoying. I doubt my brother's are reading this, but if you are for some strange reason, I meant mostly when you sang opera in the shower very, very loud. Or when you put pee in a cup of ice and told me it was lemonade and of course I took a sip. Or when you put chocolate covered dog biscuits on a plate with a sign that read "Take one, please". Or when you used your knuckle to frog me. Oh the list goes on. But the good thing is I get to relive these memories with my little guys!! In all reality we are super excited for September to get here and have another precious baby in our home.

What's been keeping us busy...

These are just a few picture of what has been keeping us busy the past few months. Happy to be done with soccer :)

All the girls at the church sledding party. Who knows where the men are!
Austy raced his car in Pinewood Derby for cubscouts and he took 2nd place out of four packs!! Go Aust!
Hunter introducing song he will play during school talent show.
He played The Entertainer and did a great job. Austin informed me on the way home (hunter wasn't in the car with me) that Hunter messed up a little. I told Aust that he better not say anything mean to Hunter because Austin didn't even try out to do a talent. Aust says I'll tell him "you did good, but you could've done better!" Now that's brotherly love :)
Austy playing soccer. He loved every minute of it and I'm sure I've never seen him run that fast before!
Hunter made honor roll this semester, he and Austy have made it each semester this year. We are very proud of these boys!!
Austy getting his award for honor roll. Way to go!
This is what happens when your team is NOT winning the super bowl.
Hunter playing soccer. He played really hard...he told me he would because it would get him ready for padded football, where his heart really is. Like father, like son ;)
Ryder is always being silly...it keeps us very busy!!

What will IT Be?

So if it isn't obvious WE (yes, I say we because it was all Greg's idea!! And we because all the boys are going to help raise this baby!) are expecting a new little one on September 23rd. I had an ultrasound at 8 weeks and sure enough there was a heartbeat and there was only ONE baby...good news. So I feel semi-safe putting this out there, (still chance of miscarriage, but seeing and listening to heartbeat is a good thing, right?). According to all the wives tales I'm having a girl...and a boy...all in one!

Here are all my families responses to this new surprise:

Greg: Oh, that's during hunting season...I guess you're on your own!

Me: I think I'm not ready for this. I mean the twins are potty trained and life is flowing just nicely. I guess it's a little late now? (we tried for six months)

Hunter: Super excited!! Jumping up and down. Now he understands why I've been so moody lately.

Austin: Super excited...but still really, really wants to get that dog we promised them!

Ryder: He said he also has a little, tiny baby in his tummy.

Peyton: He says with a very mean face "I hate sisters! I don't want a sister!!" He doesn't even know what he's talking about. I don't even think he knows what a sister is, since he doesn't even have any!!