Recipe for a fun December: (lots of pics, little commentary- how can you beat that?)

Start with an adorable boy turining 4...

(12/6/08)

his first birthday party with friends....

add sisters Holiday Music Performance for her preschool...

Followed by some snow days:

Complete with snowday slurpee's:

And some snow nights:

Sledding in the snow:

More Snow days:

(People, this is not normal for Oregon)

And even more snow days:

Trying to find ways to amuse ourselves inside for days and days and days....

Add Christmas to the mix:

(We couldn't find our stockings, but our shoes worked just as well!)

Christmas with the Fredericks:

Christmas with the Consers:

Plus Daddy having the week after Christmas off of work and having all sorts of fun with him. Yippeee.

A trip downtown Portland on the MAX.

A party with Uncle Chris and his friends on the 31st!

We had a great December!

We sincerely hope that all of our friends and family have had a great 2008 and will have an even better 2009! We Love you! Love, The Consers

56 days to go-- but who is counting?

Baby K is growing like a weed! And thus, so am I. I should start gaining about a pound a week-- half of it going to the baby-- where does the other half go? I think I know-- I am sitting on it. But amazingly enough she will gain a third to half of her birth weight until she is born. Wow! Her skin- that wonderfully soft sweet smelling baby skin- is smoothing out and she has peach fuzz on her head-- what color do you think? Leila came out dark, Nate came out light.

One thing that has always amazed me about pregnancy is some of the changes my body goes through. I was amazed to learn the Placenta(sorry Dan) is an actual organ. The only organ that is grown and discarded after use. I am also very fascinated with the fact my blood volume increases 40-50 %. That is a lot of extra blood. Too bad I can't donate some of it. And I really am amazed at how my organs cope with getting pushed out of the way. Of course, my bladder doesn't cope and I am up several times a night(training for Feb?) to relieve it-- and don't make me laugh if I haven't been in a while. Eeek! I am also quite short of breath these days thanks to my lungs being pushed up. So- everything seems to get by while being shoved out of the wy.

I have been having a lot of pain in my lower abdomen, along with my little braxton hicks that are getting more and more painful as I get bigger. All this is normal says my doctor. The pain in my back too which makes me hobble to the bathroom at night. Ugh. After we have a few babies our muscles are already stretched and the pains we feel are as a result to having been used before-- think of nylons or tights after a few uses-- only I can't just rinse out my stomach muscles and expect them to tighten back up.

OH WELL- All of this is for an amazing and wonderful end result. Our baby. And I am not complaining-- I am the first to admit I do not enjoy pregnancy, BUT, I do enjoy parts of it. A child, a pregnancy, a family is simply a miracle. I feel blessed beyond measure to be having one more child and would go through whatever I need to go through to be experiencing the wonderful feelings of her moving inside me, daydreaming about what she will look like when she is born , wondering how she will behave on the outside, and loving her so much already.

Oh, and she bonded with her Grandma Conser today-- I told her to say hi to her Grandma and kick her she did. She seems to be obedient so far... good girl.

Blogging nada

So, I've not been in a blogging mood for a while. Too much going on, too many crazy days and crazy emotions, and I am too uncomfortable to sit at the computer for very long (less than two months away from baby "K"!). I am also switching over to blogger- so stay tuned for my new address soon. I will post a month in review post on my new blog after I get a few more entries transferred over. Because I am sure you are all very interested in the goings on with my crew.




I hope this year my friends and family are safe and happy. Christmas has always been a very special holiday and I am thankful I have so many of you to share it with.

Love love love,
Megan

That sound...

You know that sound a mother hears in the middle of the night. Sounds like a cough, but there is somthing in that sound that makes you think it might just be somthing else? Poor Leila threw up all over herself and her pillow last night and was miserable. We set her up a small bed in our room and gave her a barf bowl, and she used it about 4 more times last night. I asked her last night if her tummy felt bad. She said: Its full of throw up, and it made me sick. This morning when I asked her if she felt better, she said yes, there is no more throw up left in her tummy. Poor baby. She slept in late today, and now I get to watch her to see how she is feeling. And now I get to wait to see who will get it next.... ugh.

Chaos and Change

So chaos is happening as change is looming. Its exciting, but I don't know how much longer I can last! I am in major organization mode and will get started on a project(ie. my closet or scrapbooking stuff or junk drawer(s) in the kitchen), and peeter out about halfway thru. I am so good and clearing out an area and have such grand ideas to finish it up and seem to always end up with just a small pile of clutter. Clutter I can't seem to get put away. Clutter I can't seem to throw away. What is wrong with me?

Also- spaces live is a blog platform I use thru my hotmail e-mail. I have really enjoyed it- it used to have a great archiving method and was so user friendly. There were things I didn't like, like the long url, the comments problems, some formatting issues. The great archiving ability stopped when hotmail ended a contract with HP. Now its in order to post a picture it takes me FOREVER. OK, maybe not that long, but too long for my taste. So, I am not sure I will get to moving my blog to a new provider in the next little while. As much as I would LOVE to figure it all out right now(like when I am annoyed by my messy house, I would rather organize my digital photos on the computer) I shoudln't be spending my time on it... but it will happen. And I will update you.

Happy Birthday Little Man

4 years ago right now I was in the hospital in labor. My sweet little boy was on his way to us. I remember being full of anxiety. I worried about leaving Leila, who was only 15months old, at home without me. I worried that having my children so close together was not a good thing. I worried that I could never possibly love a second child as much and as intensely as I adored and loved my first.

None of that mattered. Nathan rocked my world for the second time. I was a mother in love.

We love you so very much little Nate!

This morning Nathan came in very annoyed. "They keep singing me the birthday song mommy." he was referring to his sister and daddy, already awake. "But its your birthday today Nathan. That is what we do." He just groaned a little. Might be a long day with our little prince.. a small party, giving him whatever he wants(He takes that to the extreme every time!). We love you Nate. And we will sing to you.

101 things- not quite

What Have You Done?
I loved reading my friends blogs with these lists-- I know I will have some days when I don't feel like posting, so here is a quick and easy post to invite you into the comedy I call my life.




1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument



Try this out. It's fun to see what you've done. It also makes you think about what you want to do so just copy and paste, then bold the things on the list you have done.

40 Years

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

This year on Thankgiving, November 27th, 2008. My parents celebrated thier 40th wedding annivesary! Wow! What a special day for them to reflect on all they are thankful for and be surrounded by family. I am grateful for my parents example. They have been together thru hard times, good times, and everything in between.

They married the day before Thanksgiving 40 years ago. After a night at a hotel they went to my Grandmothers house and had some dinner, then they headed off to Vegas for a fun honeymoon playing the penny slots.

Did they have any clue 40 yeras later they would be sititng with a family of 16 & 2/3rds for a yummy dinner? We can't wait to see what the next 40 bring.

I love you Mom and Dad.

Giving Thanks 2008

Leila is thankful for her Mommy and Daddy. She is also thankful for turkeys, Jesus, her kitty.

Nathan is thankful for his Mommy and Daddy. He is also thankful for groceries.

I am thankful they both had fun classes to express themselves this way. Leila's preschool is an amazing school. She loves going 5 days a week- and I wonder what the difference really is between this class and what kindergarten is. They do science, math, reading, letters, numbers, singing. The expense is more than we really can afford, but its very worth it to see her brain developing and growing. And she teaches Nathan most of what she learns.

Nathan took a class over at the Nature Park on Monday afternoons. They have an actual preschool, so these series of classes were set up to give the kids and parents a 'preview' of what the preschool would be like. If I could afford to put him in I would in a heart beat. They spend a good 45 minutes exploring the park. The catch bugs, slugs, newts. They even saw deer on one of their explorations. These Monday afternoon classes were very inexpensive, and I truly loved my 1 1/2 hour alone- I would drop Leila off at school at 12:15, and then Nathan and I would run errands until I dropped him off at 1:00. I would pick up Leila at 2:45, and then we would head over to pick up Nathan at 3:00. The best thing for Nathan was the social interaction. He is so dependant on his sister, its nice for him to have his own friends. I am sorry I can't continue anything more permanent. I was trying to get something set up for him on a regular basis with several moms, but my placenta previa happened and I never pulled it together. Maybe I will still work something out, but if not, he definitely enjoyed his time at the Nature Park. I enjoyed hearing feedback from the teachers that my energetic, strong willed boy is a good sharer and very sweet to those around him.

This year for Thanksgiving we gathered at my sister Amy's home. She hosted in her home that is big enough to accommodate all of us. We were all assigned yummy food assignments and we had a blast. We ate good, we had fun with each other. I made a billion rolls-- at least it felt like that many-- and a new recipe: Chocolate Chess Pie- it was very rich. Reminded me of a very decadent brownie in a pie crust- two of my favorite things! This year was the first time in years its only been our family(minus Britlee who was at her dads-- we missed you Brit!). We brought over Jeremy's Rock band and even my parents got into it and sang. I think we made a great memory for everyone there

We missed not seeing the Conser's this weekend, but I didn't feel up to a three hour drive each way- and Jeremy was totally OK with staying home too(I told him he and the kids could go, not quite able to imagine my home quiet for a full night). We will see the Conser's at Christmas at some point, so there will be plenty of family time in just under a month.

I am thankful for so much. My family is loving. I have so many wonderful friends. Even though I am quite uncomfortable, I am so grateful to have a healthy body to bring another little angel into the world. I am also glad I am able to see my blessings more than just this time of year. Every day I look around and notice how blessed I am and the numerous things that I do have. I am humbled and touched by the love surrounding me.

Tuesday is Garbage Day

Garbage day is Tuesday. Nothing thrills my kids(well, Nathan) more than hearing the sounds of this heavy metal truck outside our house around 9:30 am. They run for the door to watch the Garbage Man take our trash and our neighbors trash away. The Garbage Man is a nice guy- he always waves hello to the kids.

Build a Bear, or dog or monkey

For Leila's Birthday she was promised a trip to Build-A-Bear Workshop. This is a very fun, interactive store where the kids take part in stuffing and naming and doing all sorts of things to bond with their newest stuffed animal. Well, at Leila's birthday things were just beginning to get tight for us budget wise. She forgot about it, so we didn't bring it up. "What horrible parents!" you must think. I agree- not cool, and I didn't feel really good about it either, but whatever.

She did remember from time to time- usually in between paydays- and let us know we "forgot". We kept putting off the trip for when Daddy gets paid. Well, we started our "Conser Family Reward" program and I asked her if we could list it as an activity to do after we get enough stars. She very logically told me that wasn't fair. This trip to BABWSHP was for her birthday, NOT for a reward that she had to work for. I couldn't deny that logic(Plus I still felt guilty about 'forgetting' the trip in the first place). I noticed that they started advertising more $10 bears than ever, so we made this a joint trip. A late birthday trip for Leila, and an early birthday trip for Nathan. It wouldn't cost much if they picked the $10 bears and we woudl heros for both the kids. Well, we didn't stick with the $10 bears, even though that was the purpose and the $10 bears were adorable(They had a dog, a koala bear, and several typical teddy bears). But we didn't get any accessories either(much more difficult for me than the kids- I really wanted Nates to have glasses and Leila's to have a cell phone or a hair piece.).

Leila found a puppy- named Lucky. Nathan found a monkey he originally named Baukie- but changed to George on the way home. It was a fun night- we went home and made some pizza. (This took place Friday, November 21st- FUN DAYS!).

Halloweens In Review

October 2003

October 2004

October 2005

October 2006

October 2007

October 2008