smiles

these sweet smiles make my heart melt

a whole lotta random

Meet Ellie

Nope!

 She is not ours (thank goodness) she belongs to the cute college girls next door.

The kids struck up their first dog sitting deal.

It was a 30 minute job.

 There were lots of kisses involved.

if I am honest...the whole dog-kissing-face thing grosses me out

but the look on Avery's face is priceless.

 They were so excited to play with this sweet little bundle. 

These pictures remind how we got suckered into getting Snowy.

He was small... and cute...and fluffy...and so snugly....

just like little Ellie here.

and the kids 

well...

they were just as irresistible when they met him.

 If only I knew before hand just how much work puppies are.  

Oh Well!

Ellie went home with her little puppy love tank FULL!

You know, there is a reason we call Whole Foods, Whole Paycheck. 

 Because, not only do they carry great wholesome foods...they also have shoes!

I just could not resist the great fall colors of these Toms.

Love them!

I was craving Mimi's Cafe Thai Chicken Wraps tonight.

Bummed to find out that Mimi's doesn't  make them anymore.

So I did my best to re-create. 

 Items needed:

-chicken

-cilantro

-broccoli slaw

-pita chips (or something kind of salty and crunchy)

-rice (  not pictured. Mimi's uses jasmine rice...we had brown rice, so that's what i used)

-tortillas ( Mimi's has theirs on a sun dried tomato tortilla...i just used what i had)

-Trader Joe's Asian Style Spicy Peanut dressing

 Pile all ingredients onto tortilla and drench with dressing.

Eat.

Enjoy.

Craving satisfied!

 I could drink this from the bottle. It's that good!

Joseph picked up these almond yogurts today at Sprouts.

We have yet to try them.

Have you? 

I am hoping they are yummy.

 Now these bad boys... I LOVE!!

They are one of the best protein type bars I have ever had.

taste just like peanut butter cookie dough

Chalk full of ingredients you wouldn't even believe.

like papaya, tomato, red bell pepper, kelp and spinach to name a few.

They are kind of tricky to find though.

I usually get them at Sprouts.

I have found them in various spots depending on the store.

They are typically in the refrigerated section with the yogurt, sometimes I find them with the kombucha.

Perfect breakfast for when we are on the go.

That's all for now. 

hugs

this boy and his toys....

Snippets of some recent conversations with Ethan......

Me: " Hey buddy, what are you most excited to teach your baby brother?"

Ethan: without hesitation..."To balance. If he can't balance he won't be able to skateboard or ride a bike or surf..."

 duh... of course! 

for a second i thought maybe this fourth little guy would be mellow....hahahaha. 

not so much. 

if baby e's personality in utero is any indication of how he will be out of the womb, this little guy will definitely take after his brother. 

 it's Gods perfect fit for our family. i could not imagine ethan having a mellow brother...he needs someone to be extreme with! 

Ethan: "Hey Mom, can I use my screen time to do some research?" 

Me: "Um sure! What are you researching?"

Ethan: "Well I am going to compare prices of dirt bikes and make notes here in my notebook to make sure I am finding the best price and the best  dirt bike."  

the apple sure doesn't fall far from the tree...

Ethan is, and always has been most happy outside. 

i think the kid would rather go a day without food than a day without being able to play outside.

he seeks extreme physical challenges. every. single. day.

always has.

he often defies gravity.

he is

 brave and adventurous

tender and loving

logical and willful

he grows and stretches me in ways only God knew he could!

24 weeks and a trip to the beach

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far along: 24 weeks as of today...25 on Tuesday!  That amounts to 107 days left to bake this little guy!  Holy Cow!! I have a feeling the time is going to fly by!

How big is baby: I still don't know...really why is this even a question?  Is there a website that tells you how big the baby is? 

Total weight gained: 14lbs. Take that Dr L.!!

Maternity Clothes: YES! And I am sooo much more comfy. If only the weather would cooperate with the pants and long sleeves I have stalked up on.  

Movement: He's a mover alright! Non-stop action! It's constant jerks,kicks and punches.  So different from how the girls would just roll and stretch so gracefully but similar to how Ethan would move. 

Sleep: Much better the past few weeks. I got some new pillows which seemed to have helped.

What I miss: My brain! Seriously! I am loosing everything . Keys, shoes, kids,  you name it, I've lost it! I  can't think straight or speak in cohesive sentences...sure hope this isn't permanent. Then again who am I kidding....4 kids!!  It might just be!

Cravings: nothing much! It's been so hot that food hasn't really sounded good. However, last night Ethan woke up in the middle of the night starving so we shared a bowl of peanut butter panda puffs with vanilla almond milk topped with a little midnight moo (chocolate syrup). It was pretty darn good!

Best Moment This Week: Watching the all the kids reactions to feeling the baby move!  Wish I had pictures, their facial expressions were priceless! 

Moving on......................................................................................................................................

Check out these cute beach babes!  As much work as it is to get to the beach...it is ALWAYS worth it!  It was freezing, but they didn't mind a bit. They just laughed and played in the water!

Ethan caught his first wave standing up! I missed it! Such a bummer!  He was way too cold to go back in and do it again. I guess that just means another trip to the beach is in store....soon!

 Avery caught her first wave on the boogie board! She was sooo excited!

Sweet girls all snuggled up!  

After we froze our tooshies off..we headed to Starbucks for  a much deserved hot coco!

Happy Monday!!

22 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 22 weeks

How big is baby: Really?  It's my fourth..I have no clue. According to the doctor he is measuring just right!

Total Weight Gained:  13 lbs... and I want to cry! Baby weight or not...I hate seeing the numbers on the scale get larger and larger.

Maternity Clothes: No, not really.  I use a bella band for my pants and shorts does that count?  I think within the next few weeks I will totally be needing them though. My sweet sister-in law was nice enough to hand down hers.. Yippee!

Gender: BOY! We are super excited!

Movement:  This little guy never stops. I am pretty sure that he will be playing soccer with his brother as soon as he is out of the womb.

Sleep: What's that?  Ohh the stuff you are supposto be catching up on before the baby comes.  Yea...there isn't much of that going on around here. I think I am up at least every 2 hours.  No bueno.

What I miss: Sleeping on my belly and back.  Who am I kidding... I miss sleep all together. Ohh and beer! Beer? I don't even drink. For some reason the just smell of an ice cold Corona with freshly squeezed lime makes my mouth water!

Cravings:  This week....cheese and decaf pumpkin spice latte's.  Wish it was something like kale salad.

Symptoms:  My back is killing me. I have tried multiple pillows and sleeping locations...no luck! Does anyone have a pillow brand they love? I like my pillows somewhat firm.

Best moment this week: Hummmm... I guess it would be still fitting into my pre-pregnancy jeans even after my doctor scolded me for gaining 9 pounds this month. Ha! I am, however praying I don't deliver a 16 lb. kiddo or that my weight gain does not continue at the rate it's at now. 

That's all I've got for now.... I am hoping to get back on the blogging band-wagon on a somewhat regular basis.    

Love ya all! {hugs}