Month: August 2013

August – – where are you going??

August 28, 2013 admin 1 Comment

Seems like the month just started but my calendar shows that it’s almost ending! With the new baby coming soon I feel like their is always more to do. I have been NESTING and wanting to clean and organize, mostly cleaning the same things over and over again 🙁 I have also had Braxton Hicks contractions all week! I know they don’t mean anything but it makes the baby coming very real and I think about her a lot. This last week my brothers parked an old camping trailer in front of our house and Brady has been coming over most days to work on it. It’s fun having him over. We have done some good work on the trailer and it’s fun having an extra for dinner and a few games in the evening and we even snuck out for a midweek date on Wednesday night! I finally made baby Gertrude a blanket! this is the one time every year or 2 that I sew. My other task has been getting bids on the yard and seeing if we can get the yard done SOON. We are all sad that summer is over but loving school and schedules. We’re excited for football (college and NFL not our kids) and soccer for the kids starts this week and prepping for a new little sister! Christy, Rob and Shaelyn will be here tonight! I guess August really did happen…

Ray just reading and eating and talking at this book - Funny Boy.

Ray just reading and sleeping, licking and talking at this book – Funny Boy.

The boys after day 2 of school – SO EXCITED. Packer especially is loving the newness of it all – Benji knows it’s a looong year ahead.

These girls all matched. My girls love to go to Mia’s and Rose has no clue that she is 2 years younger…

Rose crashed hard on the day that the 3 older kids were at school. I hope that becomes a habit.

We are enjoying the fruits of others labors since we don’t have a garden this year.

The kids LOVE to bathe in my tub – so FUN!

Rosie is on the Emergency Essentials poster – we saw this at the community Safety Fair!

This baby bump is HUGE - this picture was at the beginning of the month so I am bigger now. The baby is considered full term right now but my due date is still in 2 weeks so I am at the big and uncomfortable and try not to get anxious stage. Sure I'll post more about that soon enough since it is starting to consume me...

This baby bump is HUGE – this picture was at the beginning of the month so I am bigger now. My due date is in 11 days so I am at the big and uncomfortable and try not to get anxious stage. Sure I’ll post more about that soon enough since it is starting to consume me…

sometimes you just have to stop and play a game of Dr. Mario

Sewing some seat covers to reupholster a few benches in the 1960’s trailer!

My oldest and my youngest!! I love all my kiddos

baby blanket completed

our AC stopped working for the 3rd time this summer – I think they got it fixed this time.

kids in the camper

BIG kids got to sleep out in the trailer with their dad one night!

Ray is ready for nursery!

11 DAYS and counting

Categories: General

Everybody Loves Raymond

August 25, 2013 admin No Comments

I LOVE THESE SMILES

Raymond goes to his second week of Nursery at church today! I have to admit I am a little bit giddy. He is very hard to keep quiet and contained for 3 hours so getting him off to nursery will be wonderful… hopefully he adjusts quickly, I know Ben and I will 🙂

Categories: Raymond

CUB SCOUTS

August 25, 2013 admin No Comments

It’s official – we have started down a long road of cub scouts! Benji is 8. He is in the wolf Den. He had his first Pack Meeting and earned his first Belt Loop Award! We are excited. The scouting program is right up his alley. I think he will really thrive on it and enjoy completing the requirements.

Ben and I are the Wolf Den Leaders. We will get to be with Benji and meet all of the boys his age that live really close to us. We have both been Wolf Leaders before so I think we have the book memorized and are excited to work with these boys. Our first pack meeting was a bike rodeo – our kids learned to ride their bikes just in time and they all had fun…

Categories: Benji

Cali started her Second Year of Preschool!

August 25, 2013 admin No Comments

Cali was so excited to go back to school. She has a December birthday and she would love to be starting Kindergarten but is to young. She is going back to the preschool that she did last year so she already knows her teachers and loves them. Thursday was her first day and she asks me every day if it is a school day. She is very motivated to learn all of her letters and she likes to try and write things on her own.

I love how the younger siblings always want to be in on the back to school pictures. Any other day you can’t get them to stand in the same place but on school day everyone wants their picture taken. Mia is in Cali’s class again so it will be nice to have them together and being next door is wonderful for carpool. Cali filled out her all about me paper and said that her favorite food is cheese pizza, color is green and blue and pink and purple, loves to ride her bike and play princesses and play with cousins, doesn’t like chores and being scared of the dark, and she wants to be a cheer leader-doctor-ambulance driver when she grows up! I think she’s going to learn a lot at preschool this year. I haven’t always been a fan of preschool but for Cali’s personality it is great.

Back to School!

Categories: Cali

School has Started

August 25, 2013 admin No Comments

Benji started 3rd grade on Tuesday. He has Mrs. Gibson and Mrs. Long as his teachers.

Packer started first grade and he has Mrs. Myntti.

The boys were both excited for school to start. They are A track this year so they start at 8:00 and get out at 2:15. They LOVE stopping by the cousins and walking with Luca and Lalo.

Benji and Packer stayed up late anticipating the first day of school. They like to share a bed and stay up talking. They are good friends and I love watching them interact and be brothers. The first week went smoothly and they came home excited each day. Packer is not a big lunch eater but Benji is. This week the homework starts so we’ll see how that works out. All in All it was a good Back To School week!

Lets do Funny Pictures

are they closing their eyes on purpose!

Categories: Benji, Packer

Fishing and Girl Fun

August 20, 2013 admin No Comments

Ben took the boys Fishing on Friday morning! They left early and drove to Strawberry. They met up with Grandpa Nettesheim, Michelle, Diego and Lalo. They went out on Grandpa’s boat and had 2 poles in. From what the boys told me, they all watched the lines and if you saw something then you called out “Fish On” and got to help Grandpa reel it in. They got a few bites and caught a few. I think Benji was the lone boy that didn’t get to reel one in… but I think that’s good for him and now he’s more anxious to go fishing again and get his turn next time.

The Girls were bummed when they realized that the boys were going somewhere exciting without them so we had to have our own fun. The girls picked out their prettiest dresses and we went out shopping. The girls were easily pleased and after one store we made our way home and played princesses, did our nails and relaxed until the fishermen got home.

In the mean time Ray was finally feeling better and being the crazy little brother. He is a little tease these days.

Categories: General

Another Bike Rider!

August 17, 2013 admin No Comments

Packer can ride his bike!!

Packer learned to ride his bike last night!

2 or 3 weeks ago we bribed Packer that we would take him and his siblings to Despicable Me 2 if he learned to ride his bike. The thing is he just wouldn’t even try. He was scared to take the training wheels off and scared to even get on. He watched his siblings and cousin learn but he did not want to fall and get hurt. This is the theme of his life right now. He is scared. Scared of falling. Scared the demolition cars would hurt us. He has this phobia ever since he had stitches on his eye. He often tells me how accident prone he is and tells me all of the times in his life that he has been hurt (which is only 4 times). Anyway, we have had many talks/lectures lately about living life and not being afraid. For the past few weeks Benji has been very anxious for Packer to ride his bike so that we could all go to the movie. He begs him and then they both get upset at each other… Last Night Ben and I had had enough of it. Packer had tried 2 other times, once with Ben and once with me and we knew he was ready so we MADE him get on the bike. HE had the balance down and quickly learned to start and stop on his own.

apparently I didn’t get a good picture

The whole family is excited for him. He is still very nervous and I am going to make sure he gets back on the bike today and tomorrow so he can really get it. He’s getting blisters on his hands from holding on too tight.

This summer 3 of our kids learned how to ride their bikes! I’m not sure if it was the new cul-de sac or just the right timing but either way it is fun to have little bike riders. We are enjoying our last few summer nights!

Categories: Packer

Demolition Derby 2013

August 15, 2013 admin No Comments

the roommate crew

11th Annual Demolition Derby! We have been going to the derby every summer since before we got married. The group changes a little each year but we always try to coordinate with Ben’s 2 college roommates – it is the one thing we do to stay in touch with Sean and Larry every year and we all look forward to it.

We had a small group this year – Ben’s parents came and Emily and Schy’s family.

Lots of Family were out of town this year but we had a fun little group. We always debate how many of our kids we dare bring. We just brought the big boys again this year. Benji really enjoys it finally. Packer liked it but plugged his ears the whole time and barely made it to the end – he was afraid that the cars might hurt us or get hurt.

only brought the big boys

Packer and I sat by each other this year.

cousins

ear plugs = a happy Packer

Benji almost won the trophy this year but got beat out by 1 point!

Categories: Nettesheim

25 Days

August 13, 2013 admin No Comments

Baby #6 is due in 25 days! I’m to the point of hoping she comes early and quickly because I could probably be more productive with a new born than with this Large (in pain) Body! My girls are always kissing my tummy and asking questions about their little sister and wondering about when they were in my tummy. Ray says baby but is clueless. The boys are excited but they are more excited for school to start, at least they know that will happen first and then the baby might come.

I’ve started my weekly check ups at the Dr! fun fun! I took Raymond with me today and he does have Croup. We’ve started some meds and he is already breathing a lot better. He has an ear infection to go with it. Baby Gertrude checked out fine. She has been head down for forever and she is doing some yoga as I type this. I can’t believe we are adding another child to this chaos but I am really excited to meet her and be her mom.

This picture just makes me laugh. LaNell has turned into the Dog Whisperer now that she has her own puppy:

LaNell and the Dogs

Other news: we got our first email from Sister Kelsey Robertson! MTC life is going well and she is already learning a TON, longest but most amazing week!

…I am so ready to be done with the 6am framers. We have a home next to us and behind us being built and so the early morning pounding and nail guns are driving me crazy.

…We really want a yard! Anyone want to come make me one? I will pay.

Look at this picture… when will these boys realize that they are too big!? They were offended when I told them so.

Grocery Cart Drivers

Summer is winding down. It was a great summer. We moved, we swam, we vacationed, we had visitors come, we vacationed some more, we played with cousins next door, REPEAT all. It went so fast. We made the most of it and enjoyed it. I finally implemented a chore chart this last week and it is amazing. Should have done that the day we moved in but… live and learn. Our kids respond to charts and routine and they are finally learning to be helpful – yea!

Categories: General, Jana, Raymond

The Mall

August 13, 2013 admin No Comments

We never go to the mall except to go to the JCPenney picture studio. The kids try to be super good during pictures so that we can walk around the mall and ride escalators and elevators and play on the quarter rides (with no quarters of course!). I think it’s funny how excited they get just being at the mall – but it makes for a fun trip when we do go…

My children taking over the play area – can you find all 5??

friends- brothers – buddies

Categories: General