Whats Happening with The Staples...

Looking back I have not blogged very much over the summer...sometimes life just gets busy! But here I have found a few moments to sit down and update you few readers I have:)

1. We just got back from a three week trip out to Michigan. It was really very nice to spend time with Dave's family and catch up with several of our mission partners we have out there. On the way out we spent two nights at Mahoney State Park in Nebraska. Last year we camped but being 7 1/2 months pregnant I voted for the air conditioned lodge! We had a blast! We hiked, paddle boated, fed fish, played. played. played, and spend an afternoon at the water park. It was really nice to have some family time together and just relax! In Michigan, Dave's family lives in a VERY small town..its very cute and quaint. There is no cell phone service...well hardly any:) And lots of farms. "I see cows! Hold!" was all we heard Baker say. (Thats his new favorite thing to say..."hold!" he wants to hold EVERYTHING, no matter the size! Its really pretty cute:)!) The humidity was crazy..being a Colorado girl... but we managed to get through it! The boys enjoyed seeing their gramma and papa out there and had lots of quality time with them...they were spoiled! Always nice to visit! We miss them for sure!

2. WE ARE MOVING! In 10 days...and I haven't even started packing yet:)! Dave will be serving FOCUS at Colorado State University (CSU) next fall so we will be moving to Fort Collins. We are so excited! I grew up in Fort Collins and thats where my family is and several of my aunts, uncles and cousins. We will be living 1.8 miles from my parents house...some of you might think this is CRAZY;) but I am so excited to live close to them! It will especially be nice with #3 coming along here! I am so not looking forward to packing, that is why I have been putting it off! I wish I could snap my fingers and everything would hope in to boxes, just like Mary Poppins! I guess the positive is we get to clean out everything and find all those missing toys!

3. I am 32 weeks pregnant and feel that way too! I don't know if it's the heat or all the traveling that we just did but I am so tired...ALL. THE. TIME. I am not as "quick" to get up for sure and I have swollen ankles too! But enough of this complaining...we feel blessed! Beau John Paul is an active little guy in the womb so I can only imagine what he will be like when he is born. I sit and daydream about what he will look like, what is smile will be like, holding a sweet, tiny baby again, his smell and all the joy another life will bring to our family. 3 of my friends have had their babies in the past week and I am getting baby envy...I want to meet little Beau so much with all my heart...but I will just have to wait! It's not quite his birthday yet!

Not a very good picture...but here is Baker resting on my belly!

4. Baker will be 2 July 17th. I cannot believe how much this little man has grown up in the past couple months. Everyday he surprises me with something new he knows. His vocabulary and the way he communicates with us has grown leaps and bounds! He is just plain funny and makes us all laugh...including Jacob! Even though he does NOT listen, his favorite word is "NO!" and he doesn't sit in timeout unless you are restraining him...you can not help but love the kid!

5. This is my new favorite song...

What do you do with your Christmas card pictures?

So this project is way over due considering that Christmas was 5 months ago but my husband was out of town for the week...the entire RAINY week...so I was very productive and made the most of my time, when the boys were asleep of course:)! (Why am I always this productive when my husband leaves and not when he is home?) So tonight watching a little television and listening to the rain fall outside I conquered this project that has been hanging over my head for the last 5 months.

Every Christmas we get SO many wonderful Christmas cards updating us on the happenings throughout the year of all our friends and family. There is usually a beautiful picture attached which I hate to throw out, but never knew what to do with before. I hate to throw them in a drawer or a box and just let them gather dust...but lets be honest if I am going to put them in a box chances are I will not look at them again and they will just take up space. So I make a collage of all the pictures I receive and put them in a picture frame to hang in our living room. I really cannot take credit for this creative idea...my mom does it with all her Christmas card pictures (She hangs hers in the kitchen)! I love this idea for so many reasons...1. it gives me a chance to look at all of our beautiful friends and family everyday and 2. we pray for the people in our frame!

If I received a picture from you this year...it is displayed in our living room for all to see! And most people that come into this house look at the pictures for a couple of minutes!

What are some things you do with all your Christmas card pictures?

What's Happening with The Staples...

1. Yesterday I did ALL of the laundry and was able to fold it and put it away! I have not done this in MONTHS! It usually sits on the couch for days while piles of laundry waiting to go in the washer sit in the hall. It was such a great feeling! I didn't go to bed till 11:15 last night but I was determined to get it done!

**Side note: The boys somehow, without my knowledge, found my RED lipstick and put it in their hamper. When doing their laundry I dumped it all in the washer without realizing it:(. Now, all of their clothes have bright RED marks all over them! UGH a thousands times over! A few good friends of mine swear by oxiclean...so off to the store we went this morning to buy some oxiclean so I could start soaking these clothes. I have never used oxiclean before but have been inspired by these women. I'm not sure how well it will work though since the clothes have already been dried with the stains...we will see! They are soaking now...wish me luck!

2. We seem to have taken a couple steps backwards in Jacob's ability to use the potty. For the past two months he has being doing AWESOME with very few accidents but the past couple of weeks we have been having SEVERAL accidents...most of them being poop (yesterday 3):(. I have been unsure how to handle these accidents. Do I discipline him for going poop in his pants or to I treat it like I have past accidents, "Accidents happen and its okay!" We have been struggling. Today we have gone back to a jelly bean after he goes in the potty. If any moms have suggestions or have gone through this I am all ears!

3. Lent is almost over. I am embarrassed to admit that I have really struggled this lent with staying true to my lenten fasts. I wish I would have been more disciplined during this season. My prayer has been good though which I am thankful for. May these last few days before the Resurrection of out Lord be a time of prayer and grace for all of you!

4. Last night I went shopping for the boys Easter baskets! I HAD SO MUCH FUN!!! I spent way to much money on candy though...why is Easter candy SO delicious??? Probably because we don't eat it until Easter! Dave did make me take two bags back though...he thought I went a little overboard:)

5. Yesterday during lunch we has a little thunderstorm ! It was so cool! We had it all... a little hail, thunder, lighting and rain! The boys were quiet during their whole lunch as we sat there and watched mother nature at work! It was beautiful!

6. Baker has discovered the word "NO"! Seriously that is ALL he says! I try so hard not to laugh every time he says it because the way he says it is SO darn cute! The cuteness of an almost two year old is unbearable!

7. The other day I was cleaning the bathroom and went to check on the boys and saw this...

Melt my heart!

We are having a BOY!

Yesterday morning we loaded everyone into the minivan to head to the hospital to have my ultra sound! We were SUPER excited to see our little one on the screen, to find out that our baby is healthy...and to know if we are having a boy or a girl!

We got into the room and I assumed the position, the boys being good for the moment happy with their fruit snacks! The warm jelly was squirt on my belly and the technician asked if we were interested in knowing the sex...we excitedly said YES! Within SECONDS...I'm not kidding...we hear, "well your having a boy!" Wait what....I thought this was the last thing you told us...! I just laughed! Another little man in there! He was NOT being shy either...and believe me..he is truly a boy! He was moving like crazy, seriously doing flips! The technician asked if I was feeling him a lot...which I have not been. She said the reason for this was because my placenta is between me and the baby (if that makes sense) but she said with this active little one I should be feeling him soon!

He was SO cute on the screen and you could already begin to see his little personality playing out! I just CANNOT wait to meet him! September cannot get here early enough!

Several thoughts were going through my head when she told us we were having ANOTHER boy...first was how am I going to handle 3 boys? Am I ready for this? Will I be a good mother to 3 boys! Boys are active, they like to wrestle, they eat dirt, the pretend sticks are swords and guns...am I a wild at heart mom? Then I thought...Dave is going to be the one wrestling with these little men...not me! I can handle this:) I already have 2! Then I started thinking about the friendship between my boys! How this one will come into the pack...begin to follow along one day with his brothers and how great it truly will be!

I remember last summer when we were taking our annual road trip to Michigan to visit Dave's family we had stopped at a rest area and I saw this beautiful family with 3 little boys. They were probably all under the age of 4 and were running and playing with their dad while their mom was getting lunch ready! I remember thinking how beautiful this was and how I would LOVE it if our next one was a boy! I guess God heard that and decided to give us the gift of another boy!

We feel very blessed to have a healthy little boy growing safely in my womb.

During the ultrasound Jacob told the technician that our baby looked like a angel...it was so sweet!

We celebrated with blue cupcakes!

Jacob turns 3!

On March 11th Jacob turned 3 years old! It was a joy to celebrate the day with him! He was so excited for his birthday...For a month prior he would tell us, "my birthday is almost here!" He woke up to balloons, presents and our traditional birthday cinnamon rolls!

Jacob on his birthday morning!

Clothes...always exciting!

His Woody!

Blowing out his THREE candles!

After presents and cinnamon rolls I asked him what he wanted to do next..."Watch Cars!" So thats what we did...watched Cars:)

Watching Cars!

Later that day in our new birthday outfit we headed to the park with our good friend Lily! It was a beautiful day!

Jacob at the park

We then headed home for our favorite lunch of Mac and Cheese! We then took naps and rested up for our special surprise that evening! My dad came over to babysit Baker while we took Jacob to meet Namma in Denver for the big event! We took him to see the Disney show The Imagination Movers. It was basically a rock concert for kids! It was really fun and cute to see Jacob watch four grown men sing about brushing teeth, eating vegetables and getting strong! It was crazy and an absolute free for all...kids running up and down the aisles, standing on chairs, dancing till their hearts content. Jacob was most comfortable just sitting on our laps and watching!

Namma and Jacob at Imagination Movers

After about an hour of overstimulation:) we headed home to a yummy dinner of fish and chips! It was a joy to have my parents spend the evening with us and celebrate Jacob. They blessed him with a big wheel! He was super excited!

Jacob and his new big wheel!

It was a wonderful day and so fun to see my baby be so BIG! It really is crazy how fast they grow. God has truly blessed us!

A week later Jacob got a surprise in the mail from his Grandpa and Grandma Staples...a Lightening McQueen Power wheels! Seriously every kids dream:) He is a loved little boy thats for sure!

Jacob and Lightening!

Just so we have witness that Baker was part of this joyous day!

We're Expecting!

Baby Staples #3 is on his/her way! We are so excited! I am currently 15 weeks prego and due September 5th! In about 4 weeks we will find out if we are having a boy or girl...always exciting! Jacob is adorable with this pregnancy...he recognizes my belly and constantly tells me I am growing BIG! I am showing a lot early with this baby then my other two...did you find this true with your subsequent pregnancies? Jacob loves looking at the App on my phone that shows what the baby looks like at his/her current stage and has wanted us to read the book Angel in the Waters about a million times. "Thats what our baby looks like mama!" So sweet. Baker has no idea, but I am sure he will become more aware soon!

This pregnancy has been my most difficult one thus far. I had to be placed on progesterone with this little guy (more of that story to come later) so I am not sure if that made my symptoms worse. 1st-I am so tired..which is true with all pregnancies...but maybe with two active boys running around I am feeling it more. There has been little to NO housework being done around here:(. Morning sickness, or ALL DAY SICKNESS is still with me:(. Somedays are better then others and I truly feel like I am on the up swing of things...but seriously the throwing up is no fun at all! I have also had several other viral infections which has made life just a little more fun...right! Exercise...what is that?!? I have felt like doing absolutely nothing and can feel myself getting more out of shape by the minute.

But enough of the complaining! I feel truly blessed to have this little one with us and cannot wait to meet him/her! For some reason I am most excited to meet this little one. Baker will be a little over 2 when this baby makes his/her appearance and I am yearning for that little newborn baby again! God is SO GOOD!

Seriously...having kids is so much fun!!!

The Difficulty of the Perfect Picture!

I am sure other mothers have this problem...but it is SO hard for me to get a good picture of the boys! They really are cute I tell myself...why can't they both smile at the camera and at the same time? Sometimes I feel like they are plotting against me! Here are a couple of examples...

Both boys are NOT looking at the camera...Jacob's smile is adorable though!

Baker is NOT looking at the camera

Jacob is NOT looking at the camera...and possibly picking his nose!

Baker is done with getting his picture taken...so is Jacob!

Jacob looking at the camera...and Baker trying to escape the picture!

Where is Baker????

Cute one of Baker...but where is Jacob???

This is the best we got...