Our 'little" Lucy Girl

Our little Lucy girl isn't so little anymore! In fact, I just picked her up from her last day of preschool. In the fall she'll be a big kindergarten girl. Where did my sweet little baby go? Thursday will be her "Preschool Graduation"...but here's a few pictures of what she's been up to lately...

Lucy's first day of soccer...it was very muddy...but she had a great time!

Last week they got to wear their costumes to ballet...she loved being beautiful. We're excited to see her recital in June.

Of course she's been up to much, much more than just soccer and ballet, but these were a few fun photos I had that I wanted to share!

The Girls' Room

This weekend I got a bee in my bonnet...so to speak anyway. I decided it was time to cross off one of the bigger projects we have to do before baby. I decided to paint the purple stripes in Lucy's room to match the new bedding my wonderful mother is making for the new baby. The purple was requested by Lucy and we figured since she's giving up a lot of her space adding a color to her room was not an unreasonable request. Plus, each of our other children had a room painted for them (although Lucy waited over a year for that)...but, we figured it wasn't an absurd request.

That being said, I decided I would use the stripes we painstakingly measured out as my guide and buy the fattest paint tape I could find (3 inches) and use that to mark/measure out my stripes. So, the purple stripes are rather large, but I like them and think they freshen up Lucy's room.

I did the task on Saturday night and Lucy slept in the guest room...I did it alone because Nick had a paper to write and a few other things I knew needed his attention...it really only took me about an hour to tape and a little more than the length of an old college favorite movie playing in the background to

paint.

Here's the outcome...

My (not so) Green Thumb

This is our first week that the forecast is WARM ALL WEEK!!! It's wonderful! There has been rain, there's been storms in fact, but at least it's a warmer rain...a huge thunderstorm reminding me that summer is just around the corner.

Along with the summer I'm hoping to have a GREAT vegetable garden this summer. Filled with yummy things for us to eat as well as a few things to freeze as baby food for this little one to try when she grows big enough...her first foods will be a taste of the garden...even if she's tasting in the middle of winter!

That's the plan anyway...

I fight with our rocky dirt every year. This year I planned my attack much better. For my birthday Nick is making me a square foot garden to put on top of the garden space we already have. Problem solved! The good soil will be what the plants grow in and the rocky soil can stay just that...rocky! I am so excited! I even decided that this year I would get a head start on my growing. I bought a starter kit/greenhouse from Lowes and had all my seeds ready to plant. Lucy and I planted pumpkins, cucumbers, broccoli, carrots, sunflowers, and sugar snap peas. We usually buy our peppers and tomatoes already started and I decided just last week I think I'll give bush beans a try.

So, the 2nd week of April Lucy and I filled our started kit with dirt put the greenhouse lid on and waited (after watering as the directions suggested). Wouldn't you know it...the plants started to grow! I was so excited. I stuck in Popsicle sticks for the sunflowers and snap peas to grow on and thought...all I have to do is get them ready to be planted once it warms up.

Well, that's this week! It's warm! My garden isn't quite ready to go, but it will be in a few days or so...my plants on the other hand....shriveled up...not so ready to go :(

I'm not sure if I moved them to the three season room too soon...if I gave them too much or too little water, but I'm super sad that I won't have a jump start on my garden. I'll give it another try though. Planting outside instead of starting with my kit...I usually get a few good plants that way...but I was hoping for much more this year. I guess I've proven yet again how not so green my thumb is. If anyone wants to give me some tips I'd be happy to listen!

Wordless Wednesday

Golfing in Frankenmuth

Thankful Thursdays

A lot to be thankful for this week, and it seems to have doubled overnight! I'll try to give a quick synopsis....

* The swing set is set (in it's final location that is)! This means that on this sunny 61 afternoon Nick can finish the "fort part and the kids will have a new place to play! The swing arm will go up by Sunday...if not by Sunday then on Sunday when friends come down to share Mother's Day with us! I think I am equally as excited as the kids for the swing set to be completed. I have lots of plans for planting myself near the swing set while they make believe, climb and burn off energy this summer! I also have an idea for making a little playhouse in the underneath part...but we'll see if that happens this summer or not.

* 2 churches in our area (about 5-10 miles in each direction) received candidates last night from the St. Louis Seminary. This may not seem like it affects us much, and it doesn't directly, but as Nick said this morning, the median age of our circuit has the potential to be cut in half. Also, one of the men who received a call went to college with us. Well, our first year was his and his wife's 4th year, but we knew them...and they have 3 young kids. So, it's always nice to think about having someone nearby who understands what life is like in the ministry.

*My braxton hicks have slowed down in the last 24 hours! I had been having a lot of discomfort Monday and Tuesday, even into early Wednesday morning...so to sleep through the night and wake up only to feel the baby moving and not like I just did the most intense ab workout of my life is a great relief and definitely something to be thankful for. I am also thankful that I know they were only braxton hicks and not doing anything to progress labor or hurt the baby...although she does move quite a bit during them, so I'm not sure if she enjoys it.

*SUNSHINE!!! I think this is the first morning we've woken up to sunshine in almost 2 weeks, and I would say even if we have woken up to sunshine, it hasn't lasted until lunch. Today is supposed to be a full day of it! There's a chance of rain tomorrow and Saturday, but I'm holding on to hope that the rain will hold off!

*Looking forward to Sunday and Portillo's Hot Dogs! I think this may be the best idea we've ever had for Mother's Day (and by we, I mean Lisa and I). Instead of trying to go out to eat or ordering in we decided the grown ups of our families could split a box of Portillo's hot dogs and we'll give the kids their own hot dogs with the Chicago style fixins. I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of this amazing package tomorrow and I think I will feel like I have won the lotto to sit around and eat my hot dog on Sunday evening. A taste of home is always something to be thankful for!

Wordless Wednesday

We're getting there...
(need to move the swingset into place before work continues...)

The Swing Set Saga

We are having a GREAT week at our house! Nick's schedule has finally relaxed a bit and having him around makes all the difference for all of us! It's especially exciting because Sunday afternoon he started building the kids a new swing set. He bought the wood on Friday evening and Sunday he and Lucy started measuring and cutting while Murray took a 3 hour nap! (after a 3 day boycott this Mama enjoyed every quiet moment of that long nap!)

Yesterday Nick spent his day off finishing the cuts on the wood and began assembly. I know it's going to take awhile, but he already has the main structure up, it just needs the side walls and decking (piece of cake...right?). It's a rainy day today so he's working on building the ladder in the garage and then he said he'd go from there based on how hard it was raining and how cold it is...but I'm hopeful we'll at least have the tower portion for the kids to play in by this weekend!

I'm really proud of him! After such a busy month and he finally has some down time, not only is he taking the time to build a huge project, but the kids are helping...a lot! He's being so patient letting them ride bikes out by him or having them help with tools and drilling. There does come a point when he gets to work alone, but I know Lucy for sure will remember helping him build the new "park" as Murray calls it!

I'll post more about the swing set later...once it's done...

(Pictures of Nick's progress are on his facebook page...I'll try to post some if I can get at them on his computer)