#4

Yes, you saw that right... #4! Are we crazy? I think so. We are excited, crazy parents though. I just found out and haven't even been to the doctor yet, but I am about 5 weeks along and my due date will be around June 5th. I'm apprehensive about being pregnant again. At least I know what to expect but it seems harder with three other children to take care of and my last pregnancy, I swear, I had every symptom in the book! It seems each pregnancy gets a little harder in that way. Please give me some advice if you have any!! And if you don't, you can give me some sympathy as I will be sick as a dog for the next few months.

Welcome Monarch Butterflies!

Pacific Grove, lovingly called PG by it's residents, is such a quaint, cute town and we love it! The Monarch butterflies migrate here every year to a forested sanctuary that just so happens to be down the street and the elementary schools always have a celebration to welcome the butterflies. The monarchs travel over 2,000 miles to come here and the sanctuary houses tens of thousands each year. It's really amazing to see. The kindergarteners dress up like butterflies and each other grade dress up as various things. Jacen has been a clown and miner, Linnea has been butterfly and tree, there are jellyfish, otters, penguins, painters, etc. This year Linnea was a Native American. I helped make the classroom's outfits and was walking in the parade with her class so I went ahead and made Gavin one too. He didn't know what to do about all the attention!This is a picture of Linnea and several of her friends from school.

Happy Birthday Marilyn!

My great aunt Marilyn turned 72! Do you want to know what the amazing thing of it is? She is doing complete marathons all over the place! (And that was just taken up a few years ago!) She's my idol. I really admire her, in that way, but also in just the great person that she is. I really look up to her. Happy Birthday!!

One of "those" days...

I love to cruise around blogs and see what all my friends are up to. Everyone is smiling and life is rather near perfect. Perhaps my blog deceptively leads one to believe that about the life of my family. We love each other and we love life overall, true. However, my sink usually holds dirty dishes, my children are very often fighting, my living room usually looks like a hurricane came through from 3-6 o'clock (wish I had a playroom or even a family room!), my hair gets done usually once a week although I do manage to shower every day <:, it seems all my free time has to be used for my school work, and sometimes I break down and cry in the bathroom. Life is like that and sometimes my days seem so monotonous and I wonder where is all the excitement that I used to envision adulthood to hold? And yet it's all worth it and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love my family with all my heart and am so grateful that I can have eternity with them. My husband stands by me and supports me and loves me and our family and I'm so grateful for him. He's patient when I have one of "those" days. And when my 12 year old (who is starting to act a little teenager-ish) will still cuddle up and read with me, and when my 8 year old surprises me with a clean room and a heart felt note on my pillow, and when my four year old hugs me and kisses me and says he loves me more than anyone, my heart melts and I'll take the messy house and the tears and frustration and endless bad hair days.

108.6

Yay! Jacen got 108.6% on his country report on Sweden!

Sweden

No, we're not going to Sweden....at least right now. (We are saving up for it though!) In Jacen's history class, the students were to choose a country to complete a project on. He was to make a visual poster to orally present and also complete a written report. He chose Sweden and was very interested in finding out more information on it and learning more about where our family came from. Jan-Ove and Ingrid (our relatives over there) were kind enough to send some Swedish money to him (which will get him some extra credit). Jacen did a great job and we even made a Swedish dessert for him to sample out to his class.


Jacen is making the Swedish recipe.


Jacen made a type of a apple crumb cake with a vanilla creme sauce. It was delicious!!

Love Boden!

So, have you heard about Boden? They are an online store based out of Great Britain and have very cute clothes. I have been shopping there for a couple of years--just a couple of items here or there or when it's a great sale (and they are practically giving it away!). Mostly I buy things for Linnea because I love to relive my little girlhood through her! Too bad she won't wear half of what I buy her, but my niece gets lots of nearly or even new stuff from us! Anyway, I have exciting news about this place. The other day I got an email from them saying that eight orders placed that day would be complimentary. I had a cute sweater and beret in my online shopping basket so I went ahead and ordered it. Lo and Behold! I was one of the lucky winners! (Too bad I hadn't added those cute leather boots!) This is quite exciting stuff for me though because I am not one of those lucky people that win everything. Growing up I always thought my sister Tera was one of those lucky people. <: Below are the items that I won!

Cumpleanos Feliz!

Albert, you are getting old. Sometimes I feel like we are actually growing up!!
Okay, Albert--funny guy--lose the bunny ears!
Tera and Maila at the restaurant. Every birthday the birthday person gets to pick what restaurant they'd like to go to and Grampa treats us all. We went to El Torito on Cannery Row.
Carter (my sister,Tera's son) and Marilyn (my great-aunt) and Grampa.

We had a fun time celebrating Albert's birthday. We didn't do anything too fancy but had dinner out and Gavin helped me bake a cake. The kids had fun brainstorming and picking out presents for him. We enjoyed celebrating with Tera and Jared and Grampa and Marilyn. Happy Birthday! We love you!!

"Ahoy, me hearty!"

Did you know that today is the International Talk Like a Pirate Day??? Read up about it on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Talk_Like_a_Pirate_Day

This is a picture of the founders of this day!

My sister emailed this to me and I thought it was really funny. I had just recently talked to a friend who told me that in the next life she was going to come back as a husband (she was exhausted and he had been the one who'd gotten a nice, long nap on the Sunday afternoon). It does seem like husbands get the easier end of the deal(not better, but easier). Anyway, a bear sounds pretty nice!!