Snow storm

Today we had a massive snow storm! It has already dropped 2 feet of snow. The boys went out this morning and had a great time and came in after 45 mins. It was cold and it was coming down fast and hard! Here are some pics of my adorable kids all bundled up:
Here is a picture of our gorgeous backyard:
And here is a pic of Gary cleaning off the trampoline so that we could take it down so that it didn't break with the weight of the snow. Yes, it should have been done the day before but it wasn't.I had thought ahead and bought the kids waterproof hats and gloves, snowsuits, snow boots, and wool socks so they would be ready for the snow. I, on the other hand, do not own these items but will be purchasing them asap! It's ridiculous that I won't buy myself anything even if I need it! Thank goodness for Gary's military gear-he was completely covered when it came to snow and outdoor gear! Now we just need a snow shovel :)

Karma bites me in the butt

Have you all seen My name is Earl? I think that show is SO funny. I Love Jaime Pressly and Jason Lee but I also like the message about karma. Do a good deed and good things happen, do something bad and bad things happen.
OK, so karma has come back to bite me in the butt. Yes, it is true. I am not an innately bad person. I try very hard to be nice and kind. So, why the title?
I have friends who write blogs, facebook comments, and call me on the phone and discuss their children's many messes and destructive tendencies. I would listen to them and say things like, "that sucks", or "Oh my goodness", or "I am so sorry" but you know deep down I'm wondering "Where were you when your child was smearing poo all over the toy room wall?" "Why did you have a permanent marker out anywhere that a child could get to it?" and so on and so forth. Yes, my judgments may have been silent but they were there. And then I had Ammon...
This child is adorable and sweet and SUCH a MESS!!! He gets into everything! I am on him all the time. He has a room full of toys but would rather prowl around the house opening cabinets, pulling out cleaners, and spray them all over the place. Or he'll open cupboards and pull out 2 butter knives and use them as light sabers (he has toy light sabers on the floor of the toy room!) or as drum sticks, or as swords. And if he decides he is done eating or drinking he will just throw it all on the floor! Without warning and no matter how many times I make him clean up his mess! The other day I asked my husband "Whose demon spawn is this?" And then I went into the kitchen where my hubby had been fixing himself a glass of OJ. The cabinet door was opened from where he got his glass, the pitcher of OJ was left out on the counter, and the fridge door was opened. Seriously? Do you want to commit me to the insane asylym??? I am trying to mellow in my old age. The house is not nearly as clean with 4 boys as it was with 2 and that's OK! But I am also trying to teach my children responsibility and the value of work. Holy cow! If Ammon doesn't send me over the edge of a cliff, my husband will! Thank goodness for my OCD Zechariah who helps keep the place clean and in order and for my sensitive Gabriel who can't stand for me to be upset at him and therefore, won't make the mess in the first place. Ammon, on the other hand, could care less. He was put here on this earth to bring happiness to others and to be happy! He really does make me happy! And he sure is happy getting into my stuff! :)

Zechariah loses a tooth

Zechariah finally lost his very 1st tooth! He is almost 7! Two weeks ago Zechariah came home from school and we were talking about something when I noticed that his teeth looked weird. I asked him to open his mouth so I could get a better look. I saw purple around his bottom tooth. I asked him what was wrong. He said "nothing, it's just kinda wiggly" I said, "You have a loose tooth?!" All excitedly. He was like, "Yeah I push on it at school" I said, "Show me!" and then he popped it out. Just like that! No, forewarning, no drama, nothing! I was shocked and so was he! He couldn't believe it just came right out! My baby is growing up!

Playing catch up

Yep, it's been a while. I am playing catch up. There have been so many times that I have blogged in my head about numerous things but have not gotten to the computer to do it. Now, I don't even know when these things happened. Am I lame or what?

I'll start with trimming the Christmas tree. The Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving I pulled out my Christmas tree and started trimming the tree. Here's a little of the goings-on.

Rebekah, the psychic

I am predicting right now that my husband will be deployed this summer. I hope I'm wrong-but let's face it: I rarely am! :) I didn't want to post this on Facebook but it is what I am thinking and since I don't journal-there you go. I've been telling him since we moved here and he took over the SAC (Special Agent in Charge) position for the previous one who went to Iraq, that he would come home and Gary would go. Gary said no, the other guy was due to PCS blah, blah, blah, but something inside me kept saying otherwise. So today he comes home talking about how his ASAC is leaving and his DET sergeant and now the previous SAC may be coming back and staying. "OK?" I say to my sweet husband, "So, you're going to Iraq." He says probably not and he doesn't know that yet and blah, blah, blah. Mark my words (I'll gladly eat them if I'm wrong) my psychic prediction is that my sweetheart will be overseas this time next year (sigh) Oh well, he's due. It's been over 3 years. I've done it before. People do it all the time. I'll put on my big girl panties and deal with it. But DANG! I sure will miss him while he's gone. He's my very best friend in the whole entire world.
My husband, my love, my friend

The difference b/w night and day

First, I have to put it out there...
I am in love.
I am head over heels in love 5x's over!!! Is that possible? Can I have so much love to extend to so many men? I can and I do! I am first and formost head over heels in love with my wonderful husband. He loves me too. Completely and fully. I don't think he even thinks there is one single thing wrong with me! (He can keep on thinking that!) And secondly, I am in love with my little boys. They are each so different (hence the title of the blog) and wonderful and incredibly handsome :) No, I am not biased either. I get comments like these everywhere I go so I figure I can't totally be in la-la-land. Anyways, I have been thinking about how different my boys are. It is truly amazing! So, I felt the need to blog about it. I hope you enjoy.

When Zechariah was 2, he was obsessed with trains. He would even categorize them by color (Oh how I love that he takes after my OCD-it makes my life sooo much easier!) He was also obsessed with Star Wars. He is friendly, wants to please, and loves people but is content in staying at home and being in his own world. Every stick, pencil, marker, or crayon instantly became a light saber to be dueled with me or his Daddy. He spent and spends hours upon hours building Lego creations and wants to be a Lego engineer when he grows up.

Then there is Gabriel.
Gabe is painfully shy. He could care less that there is a mess everywhere. He is content in stepping on anything in his way to continue his play. Plus any stick or pencil became a bat to him. Every round shaped item was there for the kicking or throwing. He is very sporty and wants to play them all! Too bad most sports won't take kids until they are 5 or 6! So right now he is in JuJitsu and LOVES it!

And now for Ammon. Wow! What a vivacious kid! His sticks, pencils, and crayons become conductor wands and drum sticks. The balls are for throwing and kicking put can also become microphones at a moments notice. He loves everyone and says hello to complete strangers wherever we go. People flock to him. He is extremely laid back and easy going.

I can't wait to see what Elijah will be like.
I am sure my boys will ebb and flow, change and grow as they go throughout this life. But observing them is such a testimony of pre-mortal life. They were people before they came here. I am just their caretaker for a time. I am privileged and honored to be their mother. I am so excited to see what the future holds for each of them.

Gabriel and the mouse

When Gabriel was about 18 months old, Disney Pixar's Cars came out. While he LOVED the movie and would ask to watch it all the time, there was one major problem: the preview of Ratatouille at the beginning of the DVD. OH MY GOSH! Gabriel would be sent into hysterics when the woman would scream because she saw the rat and then the rat would fly into the screen and freeze there with this panicked look on his face. I literally had to press menu the minute I put the DVD on so he wouldn't freak. So when Aunt Sarah came to visit and brought along her "pet" mice with her, I thought we'd have problems.
I was wrong! :)

Enough is enough!

This morning we were reading in the Book of Mormon Ether 10:5-8.
It reads: "5 And it came to pass that Riplakish did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord, for he did have many wives and concubines, and did lay that upon men's shoulders which was grievous to be borne; yea, he did tax them with heavy taxes; and with the taxes he did build many spacious buildings. 6 And he did erect him an exceedingly beautiful throne; and he did build many prisons, and whoso was not able to pay taxes he did cast into prison; and he did cause that they should labor continuously for their support; and whoso refused to labor he did cause to be put to death...8 And when he reigned for the space of forty and two years the people did rise up in rebellion against him; and there began to be war again in the land, insomuch that Riplakish was killed, and his descendants were driven out of the land."

While I was reading this passage I couldn't help but to make a comparison b/w Riplakish and President Obama. His heathcare plan that just got passed through the house will produce an increase in heavy taxes. The healthcare plan will cost a min of 2500 dollars per year (hardly free) Plus those that choose not to be covered could spend time in jail! How have we so easily given away our freedoms? The scriptures tell us that raising taxes does not stimulate the economy put suppresses the people and makes their burdens "grievous to be borne". It took Riplakish's people 42 years to retaliate and say enough is enough and overthrow him. How long with it take us to stand up and tell Obama, his cabinet, the liberal Senate and house, and the liberal media that is selling this indoctrination that enough is enough???
I just hope and pray we can save our beautiful and GOOD country from before it is too late.

Now, let us go back to the scriptures in Ether 10:9-12. It reads:

"9 And it came to pass after the space of many years, Morianton, (he being a descendant of Riplakish) gathered together an army of outcasts, and went forth and gave battle unto the people; and he gained power over many cities...
10 And after he had established himself king he did ease the burden of the people, by which he did gain favor in the eyes of the people, and they did anoint him to be their king.
11 And he did do justice unto the people,...
12 And it came to pass that Morinaton built up many cities, and the people became exceedingly rich under his reign, both in buildings, and in gold and silver, and in raising grain, and in flocks, and herds, and such things which had been restored."

So you see: heavy taxes=poverty and people who are burdened and unhappy
lower taxes= wealth and happiness!

I usually do not blog about politics but after watching the news over the last week, primarily due to the atrocity committed at Fort Hood (which the Obama administration and liberal media are denying as a 'terrorist act' but calling it a psychotic episode) I felt compelled to raise my banner and say "Enough is Enough!"

Happy Halloween

We had trunk or treat last night and had quite a blast. I told the kids they had to pick something to be out of the dress up chest and here is what we came up with:

Professor X, Hulk, and Spiderman
(I even found a wheelchair for Gary to sit in!)

Gabe was Wolverine

Me as Rogue

The cutest Spiderman you've ever seen!

My fearless superheros with their loot!

The Avenger family!

Commitments

I will love people for who they are and for the good that is in them.

I will live every day with joy in my heart and on my face.

I will be careful of what I say.

I will be positive with others and myself.

I will only give advice when it is wanted or asked for.

I will say thank you more often, even if it is long overdue.

I will admit fault even if I don't want to.

I will judge less.

I will apologize to others even if they don't.

I will teach my children to serve others by serving others.

I will hug and kiss my husband and children.

I will spend time one on one with each of my children doing something they enjoy.

I will date my sweetheart.

I will not apologize for who I am and what I believe.

I will forgive myself for my weaknesses and the mistakes I've made and move on.

I will try my best every day.

I will go to bed each night with gratitude in my heart and wake up each morning with great hope for the day before me.

I will smile and I will mean it.

I will be better because I can, I should, and God can make me that way.

(Thanks Sarah Bradley for letting me rip this idea off of you!)

Under Construction

I hate movie maker
I hate converting files
I need Gary
I am under construction

I posted the above yesterday. Today I want to edit that post. I was thinking about my statement, "I am under construction". I meant my blog-of course But it made me ponder:
I truly am under construction as a person, wife, mother, friend, sister, etc.
Aren't we all "under construction"? I truly enjoyed conference this weekend. We heard A LOT about love and service. Those 2 simple things make the world go round. They heal hearts, relationships, and even war torn countries. I too am under construction as I strive to live the principles of the gospel. As I learn faith, as my testimony grows, as I make it more of a priority to love and serve others; I grow and become better. I am thankful for the many resources that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has in place for us to be successful in this life. There is so much to be involved in. There are free valuable resources given to us via internet, church meetings, and our leaders that there is no excuse for us not to have the tools we need to be and do better. I am currently learning the importance of, as well as loving the institution of Family Home Evening. A wonderful sister in Zion has created a blog that has the most amazing FHE lessons on it (for FREE!!!) check it out here
Yesterday I chose striving to serve as our FHE topic since it was so frequently talked about during conference. There are several people that I have been meaning to bake cookies for, write letters to, call on the phone, make a package for, etc, etc. and have just not done it. Yesterday I started on my list. I baked 8 dozen cookies, wrote 2 letters, compiled 2 packages, and talked with people I had been wanting to befriend.
I feel great!
No wonder our Prophet and apostles talked so much about service and love. Not only does it benefit the person you serve, but my children were benefited, and my spirit benefited too. I love Pres Monson's warm fuzzies that a Primary sent him in a jar. What a great idea! Gary's family would do B.I.LY's (Because I Love You) for one another . I have adopted this in our family and with our children. I want to instill in my children the importance of doing good things for each other and other people.
Like I said, I am under construction but I am so excited for the journey and to see the outcome!

Happy Birthday Ammon

Ammon is 2!

Now, last year I threw a rockin' awesome Pirate party for his 1st birthday (see here for details)but with the move and the new baby and us being sick this past week-I had a very low key cake and presents with the family. Who cares? He was thrilled! I just love this little boy!

What I love about Ammon:

• Ammon has a love of life! Everything is new and exciting to him. He's up and ready for anything.
  
• Ammon loves his brothers. He worships them. I love the way he says "Deck? Deeeeck? Babiel? Baaaabiel? Nom here!" translation: Zech, Zech? Gabriel, Gabriel? Come here!
• He smiles and waves at everyone he sees.
  
• Ammon makes friends easily.
• Ammon gives great hugs and kisses.
• Ammon loves to sing. When he wakes up in the morning-I hear him in his crib singing "A numbeam, a numbeam, a numbeam, a NUuuuuumbeam!" translation: A sunbeam! A sunbeam, A sunbeam, A suuuunbeam!
• Ammon LOVES his dad. He is the 1st one who has had Gary around his whole 0-2 years and it shows. He can be soothed by him and even prefers him over me sometimes. He adores Gary and is his little shadow.
• He loves to go with me anywhere I want to go. Grocery shopping, walk to the school, the mall etc. And he's sooo quiet in the car! (unlike my oldest)
  
• Ammon can entertain himself or play with others.
• Ammon loves to learn. His vocabulary is growing and he is talking so much better. He can count to 20, say his ABC's, and sings TONS of primary songs start to finish!
• Ammon loves me and I love him!
  

Playtime with Daddy

Here's a video of Eli being tickled by Gary. I took one of me doing it too but this one is just cuter cause it has all the kids in it. I love my little crew! Eli is growing so much. He just smiles and coos all the time now. It is so fun!

My parenting philosophy

Russell M. Nelson, “Salvation and Exaltation,” Ensign, May 2008, 7–10

In God’s eternal plan, salvation is an individual matter; exaltation is a family matter.

How can we best teach our children? The Lord has given us specific instruction:

“No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

“By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—

“Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy.”20

When a child needs correction, you might ask yourself, “What can I say or do that would persuade him or her to choose a better way?” When giving necessary correction, do it quietly, privately, lovingly, and not publicly. If a rebuke is required, show an increase of love promptly so that seeds of resentment may not remain. To be persuasive, your love must be sincere and your teachings based on divine doctrine and correct principles.

Do not try to control your children. Instead, listen to them, help them to learn the gospel, inspire them, and lead them toward eternal life. You are God’s agents in the care of children He has entrusted to you. Let His divine influence remain in your hearts as you teach and persuade.

I love this article. I have this part printed up and posted on my bulletin board in my kitchen. I especially like the part about correcting privately-not publicly. This has helped Zechariah when I have taken him aside and quietly talked his behavior over with him. He is much more willing to listen and accept discipline and change his actions. I have also needed to hear "do not try to control your children". I like control. I like it A LOT! But my children are not my own. I do not want to be like Satan and force them to choose. I want them to learn that making good choices brings happiness and that is why we should obey God's laws. I've got a long way to go but I am happy to be on the journey. I just love being a mom and everything that the title entails. Sure, I have my bad days but mostly I have good days with beautiful and loving little boys that shower me with love and affection. I love them with all my heart and soul. I thank God for them everyday.

I just thought I'd share. :)

Summer fun

OK, I totally need to play catch up! Lots of stuff happened this summer.

Let's see: We moved, I had a baby, we had home repairs and renovations, we had loads of family in town for Eli's blessing, My BF, Kelsie and her son visited, visited the farm, we had swim lessons, and play days, and a vacation to Syracuse for a wedding, we got to stay at Scott and Cort's new house, the list goes on and on. So here's some fun pics and videos to recap it all.
Enjoy!

• We went to Ocean City, MD! (Mom has tons more pics but she still hasn't emailed them to me yet.)
  

• Brotherly Love

Ammon had been kissing Zech to get his attention. Once he saw the camera, it was over!

• We went to a ball game!

We went to a military night at the Blue Crab's Stadium to watch the military minor league team play. It was loads of fun. I hadn't been to a baseball game in years!
The 'uniforms' were ummm not impressive.

Aunt Nancy went with us!

Ammon was enthralled!

• We went to the farm!
• 

The boys each got to have a ride on Grumpa's new tractor

We went canoeing with Grumpa!


The boys are ready!


Sarah and Don went for a trip after the boys and I. What? Sarah is doing all the work!

• The boys took swim lessons!

Zech's teacher was so nice!


He had sooo much fun!


Gabriel is saving her life!

This is a game they would play everyday called 'What time is it Mr. Fox?'. Gabe is the fox today.


Ammon and Gabe would play at the park while Zech was swimming!

• Ammon got stung by a dirt-dobber! :(

Ammon happened to be the 3rd child to be stung in my backyard by a dirt dobber (those nasty huge black wasps that live in holes under the ground so you can never find their nests!) My 5 yr old nephew William was 1st, my friend Elizabeth's 3 yr old daughter was 2nd, and then Ammon. I gotta say, Ammie was the biggest champ of them all. He was so over it 5 mins later! What a big boy!

• Zech's Lego audition for a Lego designer
  

He's such a stud! It is cut short b/c my battery died :(

• Eli is growing into a chunk!

And that pretty much brings us up to the start of school. I love my family. I love our house, neighborhood, new friends, ward, etc. Life is good and I am blessed! Zech started school on Monday and Gabe starts PreK on the 31st. He can't stand that Zech is going without him! So, I'll post when I have both 1st day pics.

I have brown hair!

This is me as a brunette! I have to say, I really like it! I've been a blonde for so long! I think the hair color brings out my eyes more and looks better with my complexion. I'm pleased to say that I found a really great and affordable hair stylist. Yippee! I just thought I'd share!

ADD/ADHD: Fact or Fiction?

No, I have not been sad, depressed, or upset for the last week-just busy. But I promised my next blog would be about the above title so here it goes:

This was the title of the 1st research paper I ever wrote back in 5 or 6th grade. ADD was a HUGE topic back then and there was tons of controversy about Ritalin, teachers and doctors over medicating and over prescribing, being quick to diagnose, and so forth. So, I did TONS of research and actually ended up writing 2 more papers on the same subject throughout junior high and high school. Why the topic? It intrigued me. I found that it was mostly boys that were being diagnosed b/c those little guys just wouldn't sit still for 8 hours a day in their tiny desks. GO FIGURE!!! Since I had brothers, I was very concerned over this fact and quite frustrated too. There were many other tidbits that I found through my research but my main point was that ADD was over diagnosed and that behavior modification instead of medication is the best and safest route and should ALWAYS be the 1st plan of action.

Time table:
6th grade: write research paper on ADD/ADHD
9th grade: another paper on same subject
9-11th grade: my Dad is diagnosed with ADD
11th grade: Chris, my older brother, is diagnosed as ADHD -put on med (?-I can't remember)
Freshman yr of college: Joe, my youngest brother, is diagnosed with ADD-goes to school on scholarship b/c of his learning disorder
Present: Zechariah, my oldest son, has been put on a medical trial for ADHD.

Let me back up: most of you who know me or have known me for any length of time know how strong willed and 'difficult' Zechariah can be. You also know that he can be the most amazing little boy on the planet! Over the years I have fixed sleep problems, changed diet, read numerous books on parenting, prayed, bought a parenting program, talked to pediatricians, talked to a counselor, pulled him out of public school, home schooled, spanked, screamed, cried, showed love, patience, and consistency and yet his behavior got increasingly unacceptable, Things were especially bad outside the home. Upon moving to Maryland, I sought out help. I wanted him to be assessed. Did he have a learning disability? It runs in the family... Did he have a mental illness? It runs in the family... Did he have a behavior disorder? It runs...??? But when the psychiatrist said ADHD Impulsivity subtype I about laughed in his face. WHAT?!?! He can sit still for hours building Legos, he listens to books on tape, he sits and reads, he can draw pictures for hours on end, etc, etc. I was like, "Are you kidding me?" They explained other factors that described Zech to a 'T'. (What a dumb saying!) Anyways, we went to see the psychologist first since I was against medicating my 6 yr old. What a load of rubbish! I will not go into details but let me just say it was after the 3rd session with her that I realized I was doing everything I could. She had nothing to offer me in behavior modification that I was not doing. I was validated as a mother and realized (after much prayer and discussion with Gary) that medicine was a good idea. We started him on Concerta one month ago.

The results have astounded me! I can not begin to express what a difference it has made in his life. I used to describe Zechariah as Jekyll and Hyde. You never knew which one would reveal its head. It used to be Mr. Hyde most of the time, now it is Dr. Jekyll. He is my sweet, loving, amazing little boy that I knew he was and wanted so desperately to be! He is happier and functioning better. He calls it his control himself medicine. Whatever works! And it does! I am happy to say that in my son's case ADHD is a FACT and not fiction. To learn more go here

My sweet boy!

I promise

Not to blog while depressed or sad or mad or frustrated.

The end.

Sometimes Mommies need a time out too

Yesterday was going good. I was moving and shaking=getting things done. My house is not where I would usually have it. I have been extra tired lately but I was determined to do things that I have been putting off. After spending 3 hours on the phone only to get NOTHING resolved with DirecTV and Verizon, I started other projects. I made cookies with the kids. I made banana bread with those nasty bananas that have been calling my name for the last week. I put the kids down for their naps, I did laundry, I made a budget and took care of some bills. Zechariah was especially helpful all day which made it even easier to deal with everything else. I made dinner and Gary actually came home in time to sit down with us and eat! Things were going good! I mean, the day had definitely had its frustrations: Gabriel and Ammon seem to be fighting non stop, Gabriel has decided to turn from my sweet loving little boy into TERROR SUPREME!!! He screams at the top of his lungs instead of talking about his frustrations. You would think someone is murdering him the way he's been carrying on. Even as I type this, he is sitting in the time-out corner (for screaming) crying and screaming, "I want grilled cheese!" What? Is this really something to scream about? (sigh) Elijah even decided to get on the ban wagon last night and cry and cry and cry. Well, Gary had to go to church so I put the boys in a bath. Things got progressively more crazy and I started yelling. I calmed myself down, got them out, started to read them Book of Mormon stories. I truly needed the spirit back into the house and my heart. Well, the chaos just kept going. The only one being civilized was Zechariah (I will write more about that in my next post entitled "ADD/ ADHD: Fact or Fiction") After telling Gabe and Ammon to leave each other alone for the 1,000,000,000 time that day, they ended up kicking Eli in the head as I was nursing him and reading them all stories. I had HAD it!!! I picked Ammon up, put him in his bed for the night, said Goodnight to Gabriel and threatened his life if he got out of bed. Then, I apologized to Zech (I mean he was being sooo good and did not deserve to go to bed without books or songs). I told him, "I need a time out because I feel very frustrated and do not want to do something mean or bad. Please go to bed and I will go into time out and we will all be better in the morning". I ended up going to sleep at 8pm last night. Things are still not great at the house. I honestly don't know what I am doing wrong. I got up, had prayers and read scriptures and still feel like something is amiss. Well, Gabriel is STILL screaming and crying and now so is Elijah (he's only been asleep for 20mins!), Zech is making everyone lunch, and Ammon? Who knows! I am taking a "TIME OUT" right now to write this post. Wish me luck. Sometimes Mommies need timeouts too!

Lego fun

LEGOS, LEGOS, and more LEGOS!!!

My son, Zechariah loves to play with Legos. No, I don't think you understand: he is obsessed with Legos. He can make anything with Legos. He can play them for hours and hours and hours and hours and....you get the idea. Two weeks ago I went to the farm in Ohio to visit Gary's parents and just hang out in the solitude of the farm. They have an enormous, very ecletic stash of Legos and let Zechariah pull them out onto the sunroom and leave them out over the week we were there. I NEVER let him leave the Legos out. (I am WAY too OCD for that) Anyways, his Aunt Sarah was visiting that week too and together they came up with some pretty impressive creations. Gabriel likes Legos too but he doesn't build them like Zech does. He likes Zech to build so that he can play. Even Ammon has gotten into the "Lelos". Zechariah has let me know that he wants to be a Lego creator when he gets older and a Robot engineer. OK!
Anways, enjoy these pictures. You might just see them in an upcoming Lego magazine!

Aunt Sarah, Zechariah, Gabriel, and the Space Pirate Boat

Space station

Knight's castle

The brothers

We went to Target on Tuesday and found some 'Space Police' Legos. (not pictured) It is a new series so I was a sucker and bought the boys a set. When we got home, Zech sat down, pulled out the instructions, dumped out the box, and had it all built within 15 mins. I was amazed! Maybe he'll be an inventor of some sort after all. You never know....

What happens when the kids get a hold of the camera?

After Gabe's birthday party, the kids went out to play...with MY CAMERA!!!

It is darn cute though!

the 1st of many...

Why the title? Because it has been a month already since my last post. Oh my goodness! Time flies by so fast and I have been so terribly busy! I don't even know where to start! Ok, the last post was about our renovation of the house in preparation for the 4th of July weekend where my entire family would be up for Elijah's blessing on the 5th. I was sooo excited that all my brothers, their spouses, my nieces and nephews, my mom and my dad came! Here's a rundown of what happened over the weekend:

Friday July 3rd
Gabriel's birthday party at our neighborhood pool

Saturday July 4th
Cortnie's babyshower
Fireworks in D.C.

Sunday July 5th
The blessing of Elijah Aaron Griesmyer

It only took me 2 days to make this video so I hope you like it but I must add: please excuse the bad transitions and sideways pictures. I'm learning. (Gary laughed at me!)

Home repair projects

I am not totally done with this project but want to show the remarkable difference already. I am happy and so tired! I'm tired of painting! Can I hire a professional? Which one of my amazing brothers wants to come finish this for me? J/K It's got to be done before you all get here next weekend. Check it out!
Before:
This is what it looked like before we bought the house.


Gary built bookcases on both sides of the fireplace and I painted over the awful red that didn't match the bricks!


We then called in some professionals to build us an entertainment center to go over the fireplace.

Here is the finished product when they were done-still miles from being done! But it looks like something now!


Still not finished. You'll have to check back for the finale but this is with the primer coat on everything!


Yippee! It looks so good already. To be continued....

Oh yeah, and this is what happens when I don't hammer on the lid of the paint can, Gabe plays with the cable coming out of the wall and accidentally knocks over the paint can. UGGGGHHH! OK, this is kinda good though. Gary told me I had to wait to get the floor done b/c of money. Well, I think Gabriel just expedited the new flooring. Thanks Gabe! :)

Catching up...

This post will consist of several posts that I should have posted a long time ago but alas-did not.

This 1st one is from like 2 months ago. The boys called me away from unpacking to witness this. Needless to say, I was very entertained:

Evil Canevil (sp?)




2nd post:
Big boy haircuts-FINALLY!

Zechariah and Ammon were SO shaggy and I was SO tired of Gary and my terrible attempts at cute haircuts. So I threatened lives and bribed the kids with icecream if they would behave at the barbers and here is the successful trip in all its glory. I was really proud of Zechariah but even more so of Ammon. What a trouper! The barbers were not great but hey! they were better than what I could've done. Afterwards, Grandma got them ice cream from McDonald's! It was a good day!


This 3rd post is entitled:
A Day in D.C. w/ Grandma

My mom came out to MD last week to help me with the boys and house and to see the new baby. She had to leave on Sunday to get back and take care of some real estate deals she had in the works. Before she left, I decided to take her to D.C. She had never been and I had not been since my 5th grade trip. I packed lunches, diapers, and my new stroller and away we went. We didn't know where we were going but the boys soon convinced us to go to the Natural History Museum, courtesy of the movie, Night at the Museum. It took us forever to find a parking spot but we did and off we went. I am so glad I did not attempt this without Gary. He was great running around with and entertaining the older boys so that I could push the stroller with Ammon and Elijah. The 1st thing Zech said when we got into the museum was, "Where's Rexy?" We soon found him and the day was a success! The 'mall' is an awesome place to visit. It will take us many trips to see it all. But I look forward to the opportunity. How cool to live this close to our nation's capital! Now, if I could just influence the politicians to quit being idiots and change their policies. But this is not a political blog and I should not even get started on that subject!

Here's some pics we took:

REXY!!! Can you see the boys w/ Grandma?

I love that my boys ask me to read to them all about the exhibits! Such smart kids!
My new (to me) Phil and Ted's stroller w/ double's kit. Gabe was not supposed to be in it but he just got so tuckered out and Ammon got tired of being strapped in so they traded for a while! Elijah is asleep on the bottom. It sounds weird but it's soooo cool!

The carousel at the National Mall. Thanks Grandma!



Gabriel loved it, Zech liked it- until he got dizzy, and Ammon freaked out!!! Poor baby!

Team Griesmyer
Thank you to our dear friends Lia Hopper and Danae Syphus for our awesome shirts! The boys wear them all the time and I've already had to wash them about 4-5 times! You guys rock!

Family fun and saying goodbye

My brother Joe lives in D.C. (until this Saturday-sniff,sniff) and has come to our house and helped Gary and me with home improvement projects. We love having him around and visiting with him. The boys absolutely LOVE him!


Grandma likes to give and get "sugar". The boys think this term is so fun! They love giving and getting "sugar" from her too. This pic is of my mom and her 6th grandchild.
Ammon wanted in on the action!


It has been a busy couple of months and will only get more so as the 4th of July approaches. We will have Gabriel's 4th bday party at our neighborhood pool, Independance Day celebrations the next day, and Elijah's blessing on the 5th. We will have 20+ people here to share that time with us. I thank God each and everyday for my huge and wonderful family that loves us so much!