tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23534230281712186902012-02-15T23:25:04.140-08:00Give your hands to serve and your heart to love.jeromyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826026558381702395noreply@blogger.comBlogger3491100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-3101259316301403632011-01-20T10:01:00.000-08:002011-01-20T10:50:50.633-08:00

Going gluten free is pretty easy these days. There have been many trailblazers that have made it that way for those of us that would come after. For that I am thankful. The problems arise because now there is SO much information and weeding through it is laborious, frustrating, and difficult. There are thousands of recipes and mixes for sandwich bread, for example. Who wants to try a

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-37684954205602845832010-12-27T09:29:00.000-08:002010-12-27T09:47:00.336-08:00

Christmas 2010 will go down in the books as a great celebration. We started the advent season by doing a Jesse Tree, which I highly recommend googling if you've never heard of it. They are advent readings each night leading up to Christmas. It really helped my older kids look at the big picture of the Bible. How Noah, Abraham, Rahab, John the Babtist, Mary etc., each played a part in leading

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-78971065304101031382010-11-29T07:39:00.000-08:002010-11-29T07:55:44.973-08:00

Thanksgiving is officially over for us. Our tradition is to have dinner at my parent's house on Thursday and then go back for leftovers on Friday night and Sunday night. I did pretty well Thursday and Friday night with not stuffing myself, but I think I knew that last night would be my last plate of yummy food, and I did myself in! I had a really good run this morning though, probably due to

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-58319785094719319662010-11-24T09:50:00.000-08:002010-11-24T10:11:54.897-08:00

I have been thinking about blogging again........ No, I don't have the time (I usually would be mopping the floor right now), or really the desire, but it might be the only way to chronicle the lives of my little ones. Time is going by sooooooo fast, and I am not good at journaling. That, and with family that lives far and wide (and a couple of friends bugging me to do it) I think I am going

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-8127216865091759902010-07-10T16:28:00.000-07:002010-07-10T16:36:39.987-07:00

The summer has started off slowly here in WA, but we are finally seeing a glimpse of it. We set up our pool last weekend, but it turned cool again, so we only got a couple of swimming days in earlier in the week. (I wrote this post over a week ago, and since then we have had day after day of triple digits. The weather turned quickly!) Rachel had a 5th birthday in June. She learned to ride

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-25039671034017041622010-04-20T18:58:00.000-07:002010-04-20T19:18:45.367-07:00

Bennett's 7th birthday coincided with finishing his 1st grad curriculum, so we knew we HAD to throw him a party. We usually have a family party, but this year we invited 3 other families with boys that Bennett really likes, and we made it a SURPRISE party. The little guy is pretty nosey, so keeping it under wraps was hard when people are responding to emails that are titled, "Bennett's

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-1611255246134641202010-04-06T15:41:00.000-07:002010-04-06T15:52:11.106-07:00

We asked a friend from church (Thanks, Denise!) to take some family pictures after the service. I am never too hopeful of getting a good one because someone is always looking away or doing something weird, or crying (I never blame the photographer. I think it is next to impossible!) Ellie had a pretty sour look on her face for most of the pictures, but there were a couple of good ones!

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-59715087883225995452010-04-05T21:29:00.000-07:002010-04-05T21:47:54.583-07:00

Our baby isn't a "baby" anymore, although she would beg to differ. She is a lap baby. She loves to be carried around and is content to just sit in my lap which doesn't happen very often because I am usually on the move! Jeromy's parents spent the last week with us, and we had a party for her with my parents too. It was such a nice celebration. She seemed to really understand that something

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-84055995137868162472010-03-05T09:05:00.000-08:002010-03-05T09:24:12.210-08:00

Thought you might enjoy a picture update. The biggest news around here in a while (along with potty training Ellie) is that Bennett finally lost his first tooth. He will be 7 next month and all of his friends seemed to loose their first tooth already, so he was excited.I assembled this buffet all by myself! I even had to drill new holes for the hinges because they didn't line up correctly.

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-9204487510728644692010-03-04T10:34:00.000-08:002010-03-04T11:22:16.542-08:00

This space was really a selling point for the house. One of my criteria for a new house was having a play/homeschool space separate from the sleeping spaces. I was constantly shushing everyone while the baby was sleeping, and no one could have any fun during naptimes. It was also hard to work in my kitchen because it was so close to the nappers. Now I can cook and do dishes whenever I want (

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-8578891627271038682010-03-03T08:57:00.000-08:002010-03-03T08:57:00.796-08:00

The main bathroom in our new house was gutted when we bought it. The previous owners had big plans for it, but for whatever reason, the plans never came to fruition. Their plan was to take the back half of the bathroom (which is long and narrow like a lane at the bowling alley) and give it to the master bathroom that it shares a wall with. The master bathroom is fairly small, so the idea was

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-53161121537713756742010-03-02T09:52:00.000-08:002010-03-02T09:57:10.568-08:00

The original dining room had 1970s crazy carpet and brick red walls. We painted a more neutral color, updated the light fixture and put down new floors.

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-6903567226580273122010-02-22T16:18:00.000-08:002010-02-22T16:33:56.924-08:00

this is bennett I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT I HAVE A LOOSE TOOTH I AM 6

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-73072916039251225282010-02-22T15:54:00.002-08:002010-02-22T16:11:32.906-08:00

The living room is right off the entryway of the house. We went with a darker color on the walls than the entryway. I think it makes it look a little more formal. We put in a darker color hand scraped laminate wood floor. We debated hardwood, but we had it in our last house and our kids destroyed it. Hopefully the laminate will be a little more durable. The darker color wood and the shine

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-72050415378170900882010-02-22T15:54:00.001-08:002010-02-22T15:54:23.951-08:00

Jeromy finished the baseboards and wood work around the dining room and living room openings this weekend, so he's going to kill me for posting pictures of the unfinished work, but I had already taken the pictures last week because the house was clean :)We retiled the entryway mainly because we wanted to tile the kitchen, and we didn't like the current tile. Our original plan was to remove the

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-31367545053598564632010-02-21T14:42:00.000-08:002010-02-21T15:09:29.722-08:00

I can't believe it has been two and a half months since I have blogged, but that's what it says! Most of you know that we sold our house, bought a new one and spent 5 weeks renovating it before we moved in. Life has been going at warp speed! For those of you that didn't know that, i'll give you a little background information. We had been living in a little 1200 square foot house for over a

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-44126172898530925872009-12-09T09:14:00.000-08:002009-12-09T09:17:32.310-08:00

Bennett: Rachel will you please get Ellie's tray from the drying rack.Rachel: Yes, but don't give her her food until I get back.Bennett: Rachel, I know, I know, I know, I know everything, okay. I know what 100 + 100 is. 101. :)Wait a minute there, know-it-all little man. There are still a few things you need to learn. I wonder where he gets it from :P

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-85233547663211766312009-12-05T16:13:00.001-08:002009-12-05T16:22:08.628-08:00

We had a nice, quiet Thanksgiving this year. For the past 8 or 9 years we have spent Thanksgiving in Cayucos with Jeromy's parents, but buying 5 airline tickets is getting pretty cost prohibitive. My brother was there too, so it was a nice celebration.

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-84031835233861168522009-11-27T12:09:00.000-08:002009-11-27T14:01:49.683-08:00

Yes, I know that it has been 2 WHOLE MONTHS since I posted a blog. You can catch me at Facebook these days, evil creation. So, what have we been doing for the past 2 months? We have been house hunting, house buying, short sale waiting, house showing, house cleaning for said showings, child rearing, child educating, cooking, nose wiping, sinus infection coping, laughing and loving. See, I have

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-63435236246097061382009-09-28T14:01:00.000-07:002009-09-28T14:11:31.430-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLIE!We should have known you would be a little stubborn with being breech and 2 weeks overdue! God knew this too, so He made you extra cute and joyful. You bring such life to our family, and we all love how silly our Ellie Bellie is. Today was D-Day for your binky, but you were very brave and said you were a big girl as you threw it in the garbage. You weren't as happy when

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-52998855078130436062009-09-26T15:06:00.000-07:002009-09-26T15:56:47.170-07:00

Okay, okay, I will finally admit that I have been in total denial about homeschooling. I have a friend who has been researching, reading, and contemplating all things homeschooling for years. I now see the wisdom in some forethought about a subject so important to my children. Yes, I have thought about it and knew the day would come when I would have to get really serious about it. I have

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-55948387613237707662009-09-22T10:37:00.000-07:002009-09-22T11:19:22.612-07:00

We drove down to CA over labor day weekend because we are INSANE. Actually, my mom planned a family reunion at the Lake and we had family come in from as far as Alaska. It was great fun. I also got to visit with a friend from junior high that lives in Redding. It was so much fun to reconnect and meet her 4 kids too. We didn't stay as long as we had planned because camping with four little

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-83980948526858693122009-09-21T08:27:00.000-07:002009-09-21T08:36:05.431-07:00

Our annual tradition of going to the fair started the year before Jeromy and I got married. Our run almost ended this year when Jeromy was scheduled to go out of town for work the week of the fair. His class got canceled at the last minute, so the kids were very excited for the special day they get to have with daddy. Jeromy took the day off of work, and they got to the fair at 11:30 am. I

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-20751213619108309722009-09-20T14:32:00.000-07:002009-09-20T15:09:26.570-07:00

We've enjoyed our baby who is not a little newborn anymore. She rolls over, sits up, plays with toys, and LOVES jumping in her johnny jump up.We canned two peach trees worth of peaches, jelly and peach halves. (Boy that was ALOT of work!)Enjoyed lots of outside play time.Tried to keep up with an almost two year old who likes to get into alot of trouble. It has gone by so fast!!!

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-47379416149751374962009-07-28T10:11:00.000-07:002009-07-28T12:24:59.242-07:00

The kids have been having so much fun in the pool this summer. Bennett is now swimming underwater without his life jacket on. Rachel is floating on her back and swimming around with her life jacket on by herself which is huge for her because she wouldn't let go of the side of the pool until a few weeks ago. Ellie is even floating around by herself in the life jacket. She is a little scared,

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-70285844188354626812009-07-27T12:01:00.000-07:002009-07-27T12:01:00.439-07:00

Emma will be 4 MONTHS OLD next Sunday!! I can't believe it! She is still so mellow, easy, sweet, and just a joy to be with. She sleeps like a champ, smiles at her brother and sisters, coos at mamma, and has her eyes fixed on dadda if he is here. We just love that little one to pieces. I weighed her a couple of weeks ago, and she was a little over 13 pounds. She has little pudgy legs that

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-34373379269309170042009-07-26T13:39:00.000-07:002009-07-26T13:45:57.743-07:00

Bennett got a K'NEX set for his birthday. While Jeromy's dad was here, he helped Bennett set up the first side of the ferris wheel and then Bennett put together the second one ALL BY HIMSELF!! Pretty impressive. It has a motor, so the ferris wheel actually works and goes around. Unfortunately it is still living on my dining table over a month later! Thanks Arthur, you are encouraging our

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-83624317711462639822009-07-06T16:34:00.001-07:002009-07-10T11:00:34.883-07:00

I didn't get the chance to take many action shots of how much fun the kids had at the waterslides. My mom came with us to lend an extra set of hands which we needed! The baby needed her own adult as did Ellie, so Jeromy had fun with the big kids. Bennett went down the big slide by himself and Rachel and Ellie both went down with Jeromy. There was a lazy river that the kids went around for an

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-76207154919728937422009-07-06T16:34:00.000-07:002009-07-10T11:00:34.593-07:00

I didn't get the chance to take many action shots of how much fun the kids had at the waterslides. My mom came with us to lend an extra set of hands which we needed! The baby needed her own adult as did Ellie, so Jeromy had fun with the big kids. Bennett went down the big slide by himself and Rachel and Ellie both went down with Jeromy. There was a lazy river that the kids went around for an

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-3043049386647105532009-07-01T08:29:00.001-07:002009-07-01T08:29:47.708-07:00

Nope, not a new baby :) We are the proud owners of a new to us 99 GMC Suburban. It is older and has alot more miles on it than our van, but we needed the room. It is so much bigger than our van and now when we go to Costco, it won't take us 15 minutes to figure out how to get it all home! We are cleaning out our van and hopefully it will sell soon. Mazda MPV van anyone?

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-50204986527897760382009-06-29T09:21:00.000-07:002009-07-01T08:31:13.325-07:00

Against my better judgment, I decided to join Facebook. While yes, it is very interesting to catch up with people you haven't seen for 15 years, man it is a time killer. Rohnda assured me that it wears off after a while and you don't check it 101 times a day, but I was right to have not joined for so long. I am going to try to employ some self-control, but come on over and say HI if you get a

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-52147119414240618752009-06-27T09:47:00.000-07:002009-06-27T10:22:44.251-07:00

My mom throws a birthday party for the kids every year. They get to pick the theme and then she buys balloons and decorations, makes their favorite meal, and I make the dessert. This year Rachel chose a Strawberry Shortcake party, BBQ chicken and hot dogs, corn, beans, and chips, chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting (it was supposed to be pink, but I forgot), and strawberry ice cream.

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-17990818266683708652009-06-26T08:01:00.000-07:002009-06-26T08:47:00.652-07:00

After nap time, Rachel put on her new party dress that was a gift from Pop and Popgrandma, and we all headed over to Chuck E Cheese to have a little pre-birthday party fun. Rachel had a great time which was the most important thing. Ellie was weirded out by the whole place and had to be held by Pop the whole time, and Bennett is officially too big for the little kid area. He had more fun in

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-63224788643261207152009-06-25T11:11:00.000-07:002009-06-25T11:28:56.671-07:00

Rachel turned 4 while her grandparents were visiting, so it was a very fun celebration. I will post those pictures later, but I have to do her pictures from birth until now first. She is such a special little girl. She has such a happy disposition and is so easy going, just like she was as a baby. She is always smiling and singing and in her own little world. She is our girly girl who likes

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-81826404792947250632009-06-24T08:47:00.000-07:002009-06-24T09:10:07.695-07:00

We visited The Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science, and Technology (CREHST) Museum during the Markwort's visit. Jeromy has always wanted to visit, but has never had the chance. It has exhibits about the Columbia River and also the Hanford Nuclear Site.Ellie didn't think it was all that much fun! She played with her shoes the whole time, taking them on and off, dropping them on the

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-14592453846686015092009-06-23T09:12:00.000-07:002009-06-23T09:12:28.231-07:00

Our weather has cooled down quite a bit the last week or so, and with that, less pool time. Little Ellie gets so cold so fast because she is so skinny. Rachel could stay in all day, not because she is the opposite, she just loves the water. Jeromy attached a tether to Ellie so she couldn't get out of our reach. I think it is pretty funny to reel her back in. I love Rachel's faces in these

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-67208048542268462072009-06-22T08:24:00.000-07:002009-06-22T10:20:25.813-07:00

We hadn't seen Beverlee and Mark since Thanksgiving, so they had not yet met little Emma. They got lots of good time cuddling with our little one, when the bigger kids would let them. Mark took most of the pictures, that is why he isn't in many of them. They drove up with their camper which Bennett and Rachel LOVE! Every morning they ran out to the camper and snuggled and ate some breakfast

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-28959783682193452772009-06-21T13:12:00.000-07:002009-06-21T13:24:53.285-07:00

After two weeks straight of being sick, first with the flu, then a cold, Jeromy's parents came to visit. Thankfully we were all healthy, so we could do a bunch of fun stuff and have a great time. Enjoy some pictures of us at the park along the Columbia River.

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-9986960092142428052009-06-04T10:28:00.000-07:002009-06-04T10:45:24.351-07:00

Ughh, springtime again with all the little germ bugs waking up from a long winter's nap. Ellie woke up on Tuesday morning with a fever of 102 and the lethargy that accompanies it. To be honest, I prefer a fever to all other illnesses (in my children). They just lie on the couch all day quietly and want to cuddle. She never had any other symptoms except for crankiness. I kept her home with me

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-85538966095015137132009-05-29T10:55:00.000-07:002009-05-29T11:32:17.949-07:00

People are always looking at my kids and wondering who they look like. They don't really look like Jeromy or me, but I am really seeing how similar they looked as babies. I really see some similarities between Emma and Bennett and mostly Emma Rachel, not so much of Ellie, except the picture of her swaddled. Ellie has a pouty bottom lip that the others don't have. Bennett was super chubby, but

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-62894932849663579912009-05-29T10:42:00.000-07:002009-05-29T10:43:51.474-07:00

I know I haven't been very diligent with my blogging lately, but man, what happened to my background wallpaper while I was away?!

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-8091330638214110752009-05-28T11:06:00.000-07:002009-05-28T14:48:38.153-07:00

Hi all! We are still alive, but getting back into the swing of things which means we are BUSY! My back is starting to give me trouble again because of the increased activity level, so I need to pace myself for sure! We bought one of those 15 foot wide by 42 inch deep pools last weekend, and the kids are having a blast! I was hoping to teach them to swim this summer so we wouldn't have to do

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-10589880546906531182009-05-13T20:44:00.000-07:002009-05-13T20:50:23.128-07:00

I forgot to post yesterday about Emma's latest weigh in. She went from 7 pounds 9 1/2 ounces last Tuesday to 8 pounds 7 ounces this Tuesday. That is 14 ounces! Hooray! We are officially in the clear now. My midwife kept assuring me that we would reach critical mass, and once she was bigger, nursing would be easier and better. Thankfully she was right, and I will no longer be worried. I can

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-3946135528436439532009-05-11T20:38:00.000-07:002009-05-11T20:51:07.626-07:00

These are my three musketeers. Rachel does whatever Bennett does and Ellie does whatever the big kids are doing, and they are always together. It is really cute. Bennett still loves his Ellie Bellie. Those two have always had a strong connection, and Bennett still likes to have her around and is really good with her (unless she is knocking down his legos and blocks!) Rachel is still getting

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-41033722579696185502009-05-08T12:09:00.001-07:002009-05-08T12:14:38.929-07:00

Rachel woke up from her nap yesterday with a slightly goopy eye, not so big of a deal that I thought anything of it. She woke up this morning with two red, goopy eyes. I couldn't ignore the inevitable. Pink eye. Highly contagious pink eye. Cancel your dinner plans with friends pink eye. Bummer. My eyes are feeling itchy just thinking about it, but I hope that it is just the power of

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-22135710260490300842009-05-06T10:12:00.000-07:002009-05-06T10:29:12.318-07:00

I know that they do already have voice activated typing available, but I wish I had it and then maybe I would be able to blog once in a while. I am still stuck with the two handed nursing for about 40 minutes with about an hour in between ending one session and starting another. That makes it impossible to type! Emma is gaining weight much better now, but it sure has taken up alot of time.

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-51748192401682307452009-05-01T15:55:00.001-07:002009-05-01T20:30:39.310-07:00

I thought maybe a month of time would lessen the traumaticness of Emma's birth, but nope, it was pretty traumatic. At 8 days overdue, I went and had a chiropractic adjustment thinking that maybe I was out of alignment and that Emma couldn't descend because of it. It turns out that I was right and that the adjustment either worked and I went back out or it didn't work at all. The night after

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-47149529920963872322009-04-28T10:43:00.000-07:002009-04-28T10:54:01.728-07:00

This post is a little late, but so is everything else these days! Bennett's birthday was on April 18th, so now I have a 6 year old. I can't believe it, but on the other hand, he very often seems like a 16 year old, not a 6 year old. We had a "camouflage party" for him at my parent's house. His dinner request was beans, rice, and tacos, and in lieu of a cake this year, he requested banana

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-34609513144312270742009-04-15T11:40:00.001-07:002009-04-22T13:47:27.685-07:00

This last picture doesn't have anything to do with Easter, but it is pretty funny. Ellie calls these eyeballs that have a little post on the back her binky. She put Rachel's pillow on the floor and her blanket and sucked on her "binky."

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-31481430452859273302009-04-13T17:07:00.000-07:002009-04-13T17:16:33.594-07:00

Good news from the Dr. today. Emma is now 6 pounds 15 ounces. I guess that an ounce a day weight gain is what "they" like to see, and she is over that, so YAY! I am going to bring her back in at 3 weeks just to make sure she is still doing well, but I think that we are in the clear. I am able to nurse her twice as long as I could before. It is still pretty painful, but nothing like it was

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-71214414865037644222009-04-09T16:31:00.001-07:002009-04-09T16:39:32.063-07:00

Emma had her 1 week check up today. It was the second time I have gotten out of the house in the last week and I am pretty tired! I assumed that when Emma was weighed I would hear that she was 8 1/2 pounds already. She is such a good eater. I was very surprised to hear that she has dropped down to 6 pounds 9 ounces. I wasn't just surprised but pretty upset. I have been having so much pain

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-9865649758179141712009-04-08T10:49:00.001-07:002009-04-08T11:08:48.496-07:00

EMMA GRACE MARKWORTWe are doing well and slowly getting back to what feels like normal life (a new normal!) Jeromy goes back to work tomorrow and my mom will stay with us in the mornings Thursday and Friday. Emma is sleeping really well (as long as I am holding her or she is cuddled in next to me.) We are all enjoying our new sweet little baby. She is really mellow and only cries if she is

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-4432598548920655492009-04-03T09:25:00.000-07:002009-04-03T09:42:01.287-07:00

3 1/2 Days of labor, a new midwife, a very long and hard road, and we have a new little one that we did end up having at home! She has yet to be named, but in a moment of weakness Jeromy told me that after all I went through, I get to name her. For now, baby girl Markwort was born on April 2nd at 4:40 pm, weighed 7lb 7 oz (my smallest so far!), and was 20 inches long. She is perfect, nurses

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-50493461823377888082009-04-02T08:59:00.000-07:002009-04-02T09:06:12.135-07:00

Yes, I am still pregnant. No, I don't intend to be much longer. I was up all night for the third night in a row with really strong contractions, the strongest so far. When daybreak hits, they seem to get scared away. I have many fears at this point (baby isn't in the right position, something's wrong, etc.) so I would covet your prayers. My midwife happens to be attending a birth 1 1/2

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-60851803032251238332009-04-01T09:52:00.000-07:002009-04-01T10:03:53.798-07:00

Well, I officially feel for you, Mystie. This was night number two of strong contractions. We took a walk at 6:30 and by 7, I was having consistent contractions. So much so that I nearly called my midwife and mom to come over at about 4 am because the contractions were so strong, long and frequent. I was having a hard time relaxing through them and was in alot of pain. Then at 4:30 in the

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-19428054083088167932009-03-31T16:40:00.001-07:002009-03-31T16:40:43.639-07:00

Nope. Nothing to report. Just random contractions here and there.

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-28733674111699407732009-03-31T11:57:00.000-07:002009-03-31T12:10:58.733-07:00

I thought that this was the day. I woke up at 4 this morning with contractions. The real kind, not the Braxton Hicks that I have had for months. I timed them for a little while, but they weren't coming at any regular intervals, so I went back to sleep. I woke up at 5:30 and 7 and was still having them, so I told Jeromy he should stay home from work today. When I got up this morning,

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-84651793154892376272009-03-30T14:06:00.001-07:002009-03-30T14:08:58.452-07:00

Okay, these posts are getting a little old! I went to the chiropractor this morning and basically the whole right side of my body, from shoulder to hips were higher than the left. He cracked me a ton and we'll see if it helps. The best part is that Jeromy took us out for Thai food after. Yum! Will we make it to Friday? I hope not!

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-76575621196722623412009-03-29T13:37:00.000-07:002009-03-29T13:42:25.421-07:00

I hesitated even going to church this morning to spare the other attendees the need to feel bad for me, but I went anyway. And yes, they all gave me pitying sorts of looks which at this point I probably deserve. My mom's boss said that if I give birth next Friday, he will buy us all dinner. If I have to wait until next Friday to have this baby, that is going to have to be one heck of a dinner

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-9646185178570486372009-03-28T10:04:00.000-07:002009-03-28T10:05:47.038-07:00

Bennett said it all this morning: Mom, I don't think you are really having a baby at all. I think you just have been eating too much.

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-54903405842136955342009-03-27T14:40:00.000-07:002009-03-27T14:41:24.536-07:00

Yes, it's Friday. No, I am not in labor :(

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-91659456898166235972009-03-26T10:48:00.001-07:002009-03-26T11:17:19.613-07:00

I had my midwife appointment this morning. Baby girl is still in the right position (HOORAY!). She is still high, but my babies usually are until I go into labor. All my babies have looked like Cesarean babies with nice round heads, never a cone head. Jeromy thinks tomorrow is the day. We'll see. I finally got all my pictures downloaded and the camera all charged up, so enjoy some pictures of

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-74980634470656652362009-03-25T16:25:00.000-07:002009-03-25T16:29:45.088-07:00

Please pray for us. Rachel woke up from her nap yesterday with a fever a little over 102. She was achy and had an upset stomach. Please pray no one else gets sick! She is already feeling better and is rarely ever sick for more than a day or two at the most.I am really tired and pretty cranky too. I could use some prayers for that as well! I think my family is looking forward to having this

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-70614358683360448032009-03-24T13:52:00.000-07:002009-03-24T14:10:46.942-07:00

I think this post-due date stage is so funny. People at the store ask when I am due and I say, "two days ago." They get this horrified look as if my water is going to break on their floor right in front of them. When I call anyone on the phone, my first words have to be, "It's Samantha, and no I am not in labor," before I can start a conversation. I hope to have this little girl soon because

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-53244471386144654632009-03-23T13:39:00.000-07:002009-03-23T13:52:32.159-07:00

4 Loads of laundry done.............checkGrocery shopping done...........checkKitchen Floor Vacuumed and fairly clean thanks to Bennett and Rachel............check2 Freezer meals defrosting in the fridge...........checkThank you cards done...........checkOkay, the baby can come now. I think I'm ready.

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-40645285177885491562009-03-22T13:27:00.000-07:002009-03-22T13:35:58.473-07:00

Today is my "official" due date. I was really unsure about my dates this time around, so it is the date the ultrasound spit out months back. Jeromy guesses that I will have the baby next Friday, Rohnda guesses Tuesday. I don't have a guess, I am too tired :) It is pretty sad when I am hoping that she won't come until after Monday so that I can get laundry done and the kitchen floor mopped.

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-151009180951432322009-03-19T13:42:00.000-07:002009-03-19T13:52:53.417-07:00

I had my weekly midwife appointment today. Everything was great as far as the midwife was concerned. I, on the other hand, was not too pleased with the 4 pounds I gained in the last week. Geesh! It is so easy to put on, but I am very well aware how much harder it is to get off! She took a very long time to make sure she knew how the baby was positioned. It took her a so long because she was

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-26633785900833886802009-03-16T11:55:00.001-07:002009-03-16T14:13:52.655-07:00

Here are some more current pics of the little munchkins. Enjoy!Bennett and Rachel doing some good cuddling. I find them together alot of mornings in Rachel's bed waiting for me to let them get up. Too cute!Ellie is learning the finer skills of table manners.The big kids love to dress up and Ellie likes to do whatever they are doing. Her current favorite dress up is the ballerina outfit. The

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-48142212280139452542009-03-13T16:50:00.000-07:002009-03-13T16:58:17.052-07:00

Okay, so I know that the only people that are going to read this are those who have me on their Google Reader Feed. I can't believe I haven't posted since January 1. It has been a nice vacation! I had a friend recently tell me though that no one was going to know I had a baby unless I blog about it. I haven't had the baby yet, but hopefully it will be VERY soon. Yes, I have reached that

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-43963008010729144232009-01-01T19:16:00.000-08:002009-01-01T19:24:51.544-08:00

Ellie really enjoys looking at books just like Bennett did when he was a baby. She is pretty independent too, and I can find her playing alone in her bedroom at times. Usually she is with the big kids, so these pictures were pretty precious. Rachel had to join in the fun by the end too. She likes to play with the dollhouse alongside Ellie.

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-60548907199038407012008-12-31T10:11:00.001-08:002008-12-31T10:31:57.091-08:00

Christmas was a wonderful celebration this year, made ever so enjoyable by the exuberance of little ones. They were excited about every aspect of the holiday. We taught them Christmas carols, decorated gingerbread houses, decorated our house, looked at the Christmas lights in our neighborhood, made a paper chain, shopped for Angel Tree gifts and delivered them to a family in need, and most

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-19130994354401749172008-12-04T09:44:00.000-08:002008-12-04T10:04:56.889-08:00

That question has been asked of me, and my answer is............I dunno. I do have alot of other things to do during the day besides blogging, but truth be told that I could find time if I wanted to. I think that I have become frustrated with blogging and the weird world it creates. I think that if I do continue to blog, it will just be updates on our family and pictures of the kids. I just

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-89017327157149316502008-11-04T09:45:00.000-08:002008-11-04T09:46:13.327-08:00

Praise the Lord!Praise the Lord, O my soul!I will praise the Lord as long as I live;I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;on that very day his plans perish.Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,whose hope is in the Lord his God,who made heaven and

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-31532866171924745052008-09-30T20:29:00.000-07:002008-09-30T20:40:46.165-07:00

I have really been missing my friend Rohnda lately, so I asked Jeromy if there was any way I could fly to Minnesota to go visit her. He coincidentally needed to use a few vacation days before the beginning of the month so that he wouldn't lose them, which meant the timing worked out really well. He agreed to keep the older kids, so Ellie and I flew to Minnesota last Wednesday and were able to

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-68835963860273955112008-09-28T09:14:00.000-07:002008-09-28T09:16:47.516-07:00

At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, 'If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon.' In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-61550572231270624602008-09-16T10:55:00.000-07:002008-09-16T11:18:41.831-07:00

Since it is almost 11 am and I need to take a shower still and shouldn't be blogging I will quickly update all 5 of you on Markwort news:-I had my first midwife appointment yesterday and got to hear the little 13 week heartbeat. What a precious sound that is!-I have been extremely faintish lately which I also was with Bennett's pregnancy. I am also a bit underweight which seems hilarious to me

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-90754469266321791252008-09-10T13:29:00.000-07:002008-09-10T13:43:34.848-07:00

Bennett informed me this afternoon that his official job in our house is "organizer." He went on to tell me how he likes so much to organize things and likes things to all be put away and neat. This was after this morning when he went through every room in the house, including the bathroom, and picked up and put away anything on the floors and counters, organized the shoes in the closets, made

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-12178904067919908822008-09-09T09:03:00.000-07:002008-09-09T09:09:05.502-07:00

There recently was the death of a 98-year-old lady named Irena Sendler.During WWII, Irena, got permission to work in the Warsaw Ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist.She had an ulterior motive...She KNEW what the Nazi's plans were for the Jews, (being German).Irena smuggled infants out in the bottom of her tool box she carried, and she also carried in the back of her truck a Burlap sack, (for

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-80381676041476131122008-09-08T17:03:00.000-07:002008-09-08T19:05:23.859-07:00

We made our yearly pilgrimage to the county fair once again this year. We never miss it, and as usual, fun was had by all. Jeromy took a half day on Friday and rode the bus to the fair with the older two kids after they ate lunch, so that they could get in hours of rides to make those wrist bands worth their exorbitant price. I stayed home, napped with Ellie, and brought dinner, so that we

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-71894072688024142892008-08-23T09:44:00.001-07:002008-08-23T13:26:47.566-07:00

I know that I am excused from any regular blogging while in my first trimester, and it is nice to not feel the pressure and guilt of not posting. The truth is that I am feeling pretty good. Well, I will back up a little bit and tell the complete story.I had been feeling functionally nauseous since I found out that I was pregnant. As long as I kept my stomach full, I was okay. We had a

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-80319957866679231242008-08-20T09:17:00.000-07:002008-08-20T09:23:02.580-07:00

BARACK OBAMA:The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE! JOHN McCAIN:My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS'

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-38313150571366149832008-08-18T09:19:00.001-07:002008-08-18T09:19:51.875-07:00

By GILLIAN WONGBEIJING A group of American Christians who had more than 300 Bibles confiscated by Chinese officials when they arrived in China is refusing to leave the airport until they get the books back, their leader said Monday.The group arrived in the southwestern city of Kunming on Sunday as China hosts the Summer Olympics in Beijing, its capital.Pat Klein said he and three others from his

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-19502722226774218282008-08-12T14:18:00.000-07:002008-08-12T14:29:00.171-07:00

I got the results back from my second hormone test, and the levels are a little bit higher. Yay!!! They are not doubling anymore because at 8-11 weeks, they level out and then start to go down a little bit in the second trimester. I am really excited and can't wait to hear a heartbeat! I always feel so much better then. I am a little shocked that everything is okay, call me a pessimist, but

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-75974510635819567652008-08-12T09:17:00.000-07:002008-08-12T09:35:20.916-07:00

My midwife suggested on Friday that I take an HCG hormone level test to tell us whether or not my levels are increasing and how high they are. They are supposed to double every two to three days in the first trimester, so if mine are going down, I will know that a miscarriage is imminent. I had someone say how awful that is to want to find out, and while it would be sad news, I would

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-90979321240205904322008-08-05T10:16:00.000-07:002008-08-05T10:16:01.117-07:00

We did our first camping trip of the summer a few weeks ago. We met our pastor and his family up at Mt. Rainier for a couple of days of fellowship and fun. Previous camping trips we have borrowed a friend's trailer to pull all of our stuff because there just isn't enough room in our small van, especially with Ellie in the middle row now. We planned on squeezing Ellie's car seat in the middle

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-84623007429996224562008-08-04T10:00:00.000-07:002008-08-04T10:49:34.638-07:00

We decided to do swim lessons this summer with the kids. It is quite a commitment to go for two whole weeks every day, but I knew that Bennett needed some practice in the water to be more comfortable by the time we go to the lake for a week later this month. He started out the week a bit tentative, and I nearly yanked him out of the lessons after the first day of seeing some really naughty kids

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-60987127952295380382008-08-03T09:35:00.000-07:002008-08-03T09:37:09.870-07:00

I have been so bad about blogging lately that I can't even remember what I have posted about Ellie in the last few months, and I am too lazy to go back and look, so here is the recap (or the first time sharing, whatever the case may be :P)Ellie has been crawling on her knees, finally. Before, she just army crawled on her belly I think mostly due to our hardwood and tile floors. I moved out the

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-79750639538151685442008-08-01T10:25:00.000-07:002008-08-01T12:20:08.126-07:00

Expert on Forced Abortions in China Urges Boycott of Beijing Summer OlympicsWashington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A leading expert on the brutal campaign of forced abortions and sterilizations that accompany China's one-child family planning policy is urging a boycott of the Summer Olympics. Steven Mosher, of the Population Research Institute, says the games will legitimatize China's abhorrent human

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-13285092534741595932008-07-31T11:05:00.000-07:002008-08-01T10:34:57.187-07:00

Miss Ellie Bellie has decided in the last month that food is where her happiness can be found. She is eating lunch and dinner consisting of half a jar of fruit for lunch and half a jar of vegetables for dinner each mixed with a hefty amount of rice cereal. Anyone who has seen the bowl of food is astounded that she could finish it all. She can, and I learned early on that if I didn't make

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-60604187683471219872008-07-30T10:55:00.000-07:002008-07-30T11:14:59.868-07:00

Well, I found out why I have been so unmotivated to blog lately. Drumroll please.I am pregnant again.I know, big surprise! When i told my mom, she said that she has been waiting for an announcement for the last few weeks. I guess when people know that you don't prevent pregnancy, it is assumed that a new pregnancy is imminent around 8-12 months after the last baby is born. It really

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-17140907519028656452008-07-26T10:05:00.000-07:002008-07-26T10:07:17.760-07:00

Subject: First Hand Report on BarackObama's visit to Afghanistan This is a first hand account from the cousin of one of our friends. I don't know each of your personal political convictions,but I thought it was important enough to share. This is Jeff's first hand view of Senator Obama. > > Jacki> > ---------- Forwarded Message ----------> Hello everyone, >

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-90725619016316568572008-07-07T15:27:00.000-07:002008-07-07T15:32:59.020-07:00

Yes, it has been a long time between blogs lately but feeling lousy for so long has set me way behind with life. That combined with some potty training setbacks, I have had alot to do around the house. We picked 50 pounds of cherries (at least) this last week, so I have been drying and baking and eating cherries, cherries, cherries. I love this time of year! Bennett starts swimming lessons

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-62983725656159812692008-07-01T08:39:00.000-07:002008-07-01T09:00:57.688-07:00

I was sick a couple of weeks ago, but have been plagued by the same malaise for another week, so I am thinking it is a really bad case of allergies. It is either allergies or strep throat which when I went online to research it found out that even if I went on antibiotics, it only cuts the time of suffering down by 1.5 days, so what's the point? My head has been so full of pounding pressure

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-12410014092247951942008-06-23T21:01:00.000-07:002008-06-23T21:16:26.411-07:00

Ellie overnight has gained many skills I haven't been keeping up with posting about. Last week I went into her room to get her up from her nap, and she was sitting up in her crib. I had yet to see her accomplish this feat, so I was quite surprised! She isn't crawling yet but is scooting a bit and pulled herself up to standing on the laundry basket Saturday morning. She is standing before

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-25221973785413388902008-06-19T21:26:00.000-07:002008-06-19T21:58:59.660-07:00

This is for you Wendy!I have been gluten-dairy-egg free cooking for 3 years now and this year I FINALLY found a fool proof really good bread recipe. I make 2 loaves every week. They are small, but taste great and have a wonderful texture. I slice them once they are cool and then store them in the freezer in a ziploc bag. I pop the slices in the toaster to defrost them or toast them depending

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-89927543292334144352008-06-18T13:43:00.001-07:002008-06-18T14:10:45.024-07:00

We had a wonderful day from start to finish, honoring our little Rachie. She awoke to a breakfast of chocolate rice crispies (the gluten-free, organic kind!) which she obviously loved, orange juice and lots of excitement. We got ready and headed out to the children's museum for a morning of fun, but unfortunately it is closed on Mondays AND Tuesdays. I didn't realize that, so we headed to the

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-89952797575063677412008-06-17T09:24:00.000-07:002008-06-17T09:54:06.549-07:00

For the last year or so, we have lovingly referred to Rachel as, "The World's Largest Two Year Old." People were always shocked to hear that she was only two. She is really tall for her age and speaks as if she is 3 or 4. Today I realized that I think of her as older too. Instead of feeling like I can't believe she is three already (today!) I feel like she is FINALLY three.However I look at

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-4745181128032925212008-06-13T16:12:00.001-07:002008-06-13T16:13:03.158-07:00

Upon tasting his first radish, Bennett said, "Yuck! It tastes like spicy garbage."My sentiments exactly!

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-12754360994096914742008-06-12T11:03:00.000-07:002008-06-23T21:19:08.962-07:00

We started on a new schedule this morning that I think worked out really well. I hadn't planned on starting anything new today, I just decided that I needed to stop thinking about doing things and just get started. The only thing that didn't get done was my exercising (or even getting dressed yet!) because I am sick (drag!) and not feeling very well. The new morning routine will be:Cuddle in

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2353423028171218690.post-28979628472243757502008-06-11T14:26:00.000-07:002008-06-11T15:45:03.499-07:00

I just watched a Frontline documentary on the history of the Darfur crisis. Actually, it was on the broader history of genocide since the last part of the 20th century. Rwanda (500,000-1,000,000 dead), Srebrenica Genocide in Bosnia (8,000 men and boys dead), and now Darfur (200,000 to 700,000 dead, millions forced to refugee camps). After Rwanda, "Never Again" became the slogan promising that

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10716255507128638406noreply@blogger.com1