Free Range on Fairview

I have some friends who seem like they can do it all. We joked that one of my friends just doesn't have her plate full, she had a platter. I love trying to figure out how they can have time or energy to do all of the things I wish I had time or energy to do but then I have to slap myself in the face and remember that each person is different. I don't have the resources or skills to sew all my own clothes and home decor. I don't have the patience or full control to homeschool my children. I don't have the knowledge to start a step-parent support group. I don't have the budget to entertain regularly or have a name brand wardrobe. But I do what I can. Here are some of the amazing ideas that I've seen online lately that I really wanted to try but I've given myself grace and decided that it is just not going to happen for me right in this current season of my life. Quite a few things have changed for us from what I expected for the year so far and that is just ho...

Ok little man, I'm ready now.  I got my pedicure yesterday (at a beauty school in town for half the price as any where else and the same quality as I've received in three other pedicures in my lifetime).  I've gotten all my pressing MOPS business done. Our team is almost completely together and getting ready to gear up for some fun training over the summer.  I put the car seat in the van yesterday. Shane gets frustrated trying to put it in and I didn't want to have to climb on top of it after having a baby so it just needed to happen. I forget how honkin' big those baby seats are! I also put the baby hospital bag in the van too, one less thing to have to remember. I feel like I've done about 75 loads of laundry this week. I don't want it all piling up if I do spontaneously go into labor so I'm trying to stay on top of it all. It also seems like blankets, towels, couch covers... everything has somehow gotten spilled on, pooped on or spit up on an...

Had my 38 week appointment today and everything is looking pretty average, which I am excited about. I measured slightly smaller than last week so the baby has dropped, his heart rate is perfectly normal and head is down in position. This little sprout could be here any time. I keep saying we are in no hurry but I'm thinking next weekend will be the ticket. Who really knows though? If this kid is anything like his dad or older brother he will come only when he wants to :)  Side view Holding the baby. I didn't realize how perfectly round my belly is until just now.  Yesterday I was trying to get off the couch to get Lincoln a snack and I asked him to help me "hold" the baby. He came over and put his chubby little hands on my belly and really tried to help hold him until we got into the kitchen. He will hopefully be a great big brother. 

No no I haven't had the baby yet, don't worry I will give you the scoop when that happens. I am just excited to let you all in on the fact that next year I am going to be the Co-Coordinator of the Ellensburg MOPS group! My amazingly wonderful friend Jessica and I will be leading our group and hopefully bringing more moms to the glory of Christ. I am so excited to see what wonderful blessings are to come in the future. If you haven't heard about MOPS , or Mother's of Preschoolers, it is an international support program for mothers who, well have preschoolers. "The purpose of MOPS International is to encourage and develop every mother of preschoolers to realize her potential as a woman, mother and leader in the name of Jesus Christ." It is a Christian based program but any mom with any kids Kindergarten and younger are encouraged to join. We have brunch every meeting (and being pregnant I can hardly wait to dig in every time!), a devotional, a local speaker or ...

A few of the people I follow in the blogosphere have recommend the book  Eat That Frog. 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. By Brian Tracy  and a few months ago I was able to score a killer deal on a book for my Kindle, it was on sale for $ .99! I wouldn't have paid more money for it because in all honesty I thought the title sounded really dumb but I had seen it many places so I finally stopped procrastinating and just bought the darn thing. Then in several of my many sleepless nights I actually read it. I thought that most of the information would best be used in a working/business environment but I think I was able to apply it to my life as a Home Manager and also in my relationship to MOPS. Eat That Frog refers to the idea of tackling your ugliest, least favorite chore or task first because once that's out of the way everything else will seem so much easier. Just like the old adage of eating an elephant one bite at a time, just do it!...

It's been hot here. Unseasonable hot for me. 90 degrees hot. Thankfully today it is much cooler and this fully pregnant woman could not be happier. Don't get me wrong I love the sunshine and warm weather, but right now I'm just hot, combined with uncomfortable and my shirts are getting too small. Two more weeks, I can do it! Mini rant over.  This weekend we did some easy dinners and had some awesome family time. Pizza Friday night was fun, the boys like making their own pizzas from Papa Murphy's. Cheese, sauce, dough included (they make ones with pepperoni too but I didn't realize I was only grabbing cheese ones this time). Lincoln just wanted to eat the cheese and Dylan thinks he is being a funny pizza maker in the pictures below.  That's a spicy meat-a-ball. He kept kissing his fingertips like an old Italian man. Then Saturday we hit a local park to BBQ steaks and let the kids run around. So much fun. With Shane, Danielle, and my Dad, and my mot...

He may not be nationally recognized but I think I got lucky with this one.  He is a great provider for our family. He is an amazing father.  He is a solid husband. This last Saturday he did the dishes.  As we were getting into bed last night he even complimented me saying, "Well at least your face isn't getting chunky with this pregnancy."  At least he tries.  Thanks sweetheart I will cherish that one.

We've had quite the unusual schedule lately but things are starting to go back to normal now. I'm at 37 weeks now so we are getting down to the wire to meet this little guy and luckily we are pretty much ready for him. There are things I want to do outside, but bending over is getting harder and harder for me. I also just looked at the forecast for the weekend and it says that Saturday is going to be around 78degrees around here! Combine that with the hot pregnant woman syndrome I am experiencing and that might be a bad combination... but I am looking forward to a nice family BBQ at the least. Shane has to fit in 40 hrs of work before he can take FMLA time off so I have to keep the baby in until at least next Tuesday. I'm still in no hurry to get him out, but it's becoming more and more a reality that he will be here in no time.  Life around here has been busy so I thought I'd let you in on what we did lately without much more time.  The boys had pretty similar jam...

I've put both of these pictures on my blog before, why yes even the same one yesterday, but it still amazes me how much a little person can change over the course of a year. The first picture is of rolley-polley, little chubby, scowly Lincoln almost exactly a year ago. I was taking pictures for my photography class to finish up my A.A. Overcast sky and bright green grass, I guess I'm a sucker for both. At nearly one he wasn't mobile yet and had reservations about putting his hands or feet into the grass. If I only knew how easy I had it then.  Now at nearly two he is a little ball of energy. Fearless, adventurous, spontaneous, rowdy. He still has that scowl but it has quite a charm about it. He's leaning up, running around, and not into posing so much for Mama. 

We definitely have a boy centered house. The weapon bin full of fake guns, grenades, swords and spy gear. A ball bin full of every kind of ball I can think of (except a volley ball which, of course, is what Danielle wants for the house now ;) ). Match box cars, Legos, Little People, Dinosaurs... you get the idea. So many toys so little room and we are about to add another boy and all his gear to the mix. But today I spent most of the day with the tv off (a small victory) and we took a quick trip over the mountains this weekend and what did my boys play with most? A present bag, dirt, and some fresh air. Lincoln is going through a really dependent stage right now (he will say Mama and grab my hand trying to get me to be where ever he wants to play) but luckily I've been able to sit where I am and watch a few times. I need to keep working on him being more independent but I still have a little more time before he isn't going to be my baby so I'm working on it.  Well at lea...

We are excited to get some beautiful flowers into our lives. So it looks like starting next week we will be back up to a family of 5, waiting for number 6. Danielle is going to finish high school over here (two more months, oh my!). Dylan is doing spectacular at school. The tornado of a boy named Lincoln took a three hour nap and what did I use that time for? Checking emails, grocery shopping, putting away food and playing referee. Hopefully he wakes up in a good mood today because lately he has been so grumpy. I had my 36 week appointment today and everything looks good, breaking the 160 lbs. barrier by a few. Tomorrow morning we will get another look at baby Warner as we get a late ultrasound just to peek in and see how things are going. Exciting! I'm in no hurry to jump into 6, but I know four weeks is going to fly by. Luckily I don't think there is much more we can do now to get ready for baby, other than put the car seat in the van, so hard to believe.

Well we aren't out of the woods yet... but we did manage to find the path, get a map and pack the necessary supplies to get there. We are so thankful for all the prayers and support as we now have our family back together and we are working towards the end goals.

I realize my last post was quite concerning to some people so I figured I should at least hop on here and let everyone know that things in the Sadler house are going ok now and getting better day by day. Danielle was hospitalized last week so our schedule has been scrapped, no work, grand parents around to help with the boys, an April Fools joke on me (I thought my water had broken, but I guess I just sat in a wet chair), and trying to stay together and get through a hard time as a family. Life is not as we expected but we are growing stronger every day and it is in the Lord's hands. Prayers are still being accepted :) "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalms 27:14

Can I go back a week or two and just keep things there? We are having an incredibly difficult season in our life currently and I don't think I've ever prayed so hard, ever. Please keep us in your prayers.

Well Lincoln has figured out how to bring the stool from the bathroom into the kitchen and Dylan has half days at school all this week for parent/teacher conferences so I'll have a few extra hands in the kitchen. Not sure if it will be helpful, but hopefully they will have fun. We've had some unexpected circumstances come up so for this week I have planned some meals I know the kids will eat and then the rest of the month centered around Easter (and ham leftovers) and mainly using what is in the fridge and freezer. I asked Dylan what specifically he would want to eat this month and he said hamburgers and spaghetti and meatballs. I think I should be able to handle that. Since so many things are up in the air right now, this is very subject to change :) April Menu Basic Plan 1. Leftover Pizza (thanks Mom and Dad!) 2. Sweet and Spicy Steak with bagged cherry almond salad 3.  Mozzarella Stuffed meatballs  and Spaghetti, veggie 4. Cheesy Enchiladas with rice and beans ...