Updates

Jolene looks how I feel...

Well its been over a month since I wrote last, imagine that. We have been on school break and busy as ever. The husband had a nice 3 day weekend with us and we worked him until he finally said going to Indiana and working was easier. We did alot around like finished my big bathroom so now I can use my jet tub and then my shower was also finished.He finished the shelves in the pantry and that was such a blessing to get the food off my counters and out of my cabinets. He started making drain ditches int the yard so as I welcome the new drains I hate the mud I will have yet again once it rains. We got the double set laundry masters up and that helps so much with laundry, but now who wants to fold all the clothes because I dont! We spent one day running around and going to flea market. That was fun but didnt really find any good deals. Today I had an ultrasound and blood work done.Laura is doing great! She is all legs and even more lips.Yes she is blessed with the Jolley lips! She was dancing and going crazy until finally she decided to pass out and relax alittle.The tech was getting upset with her and started to complain that she wouldnt sit still. After the doctors we went over to the Goodwill and of course the people out in the world today were out to tick me off. I cant stand it when people stand in the aisle and dont move over so you can get though and they look at you like they are stupid. Then theres the people who really are stupid and I have to let them know that because they are being stupid around me.Is it hard to move, or say excuse me instead of being ann ass to my kids.really people its better you stay at home and keep to yourself because you bother me! Anyways after that we ran to Steak n shake only to have them mess up our order which would have been fine but not today. I wasnt mean I just sent Hannah in because I knew if I did I would say something I would have to repent for. Once we got home things were better.Woohoo. We were going to drive to Indiana this week but Jeff is beat and needs to rest at night and im not up for the drive right now. Im really looking forward to the next few days at home.I wont be answering my phone, checking my blog,checking my email or facebook.Im beat with all the run and go we do and looking forward to relaxing and planning the school year.we start back up July 4th. Im pretty excited about starting back up.Routine is a must and my husband has told me over and over I need to get the kids on routine and make it stick.He is very let down with my lazy attitude towards school this year.I can see why, its been a horrible school year.Yes we mastered things and learned but we ran so much and worried so much about doing this and that that I taught my kids this bad habit and now its so hard to break.But I have to and I will. Lessons will be marked off everyday by the kids and chores will be done and yes even an alarm clock will be set for my daughter who likes to sleep until lunch. Im going to find a chore that works for all the kids even down to Jolene who learn to pick up after she is done with her toys.When we are doing a routine we are awesome and stuff gets done and the kids are happy but man when we fall off things go down hill fast. Im so ready for the new school year.So many goals and so many things I cant wait to do with the kids.But before we start school the older kids have a nice week long stay with grandma they have been looking forward to for so long.( They are driving me crazy right now). we have trips to six flags to go to, the zoo, rivers,creeks and the fun summer things we must do. oh yes and plan for the baby! I have everything but a few things I need to order. every time I want to order I fall asleep or day Ill do it in the morning.This birth will be a little different.My sister in law Paula will be with me! Im so excited.She is going to tape it for me.Im praying she doesn't pass out in the time comes to see the crowning because thats when Jeff usually turns white and gets a little scared. I have faith she will do wonderful.She cracks me up daily so I know we will have a great time laughing and enjoying the moments until Laura decides to come.I cant wait for the newborn snuggles and nursing,I soooo very much wish Jolene was still nursing.I miss the bonding you get with that and the little looks they give. Hannah nursed until she was 2.5 and I loves it.My others nursed pretty long but nothing like my Hannah, which is why she is so very smart ;) Ok back to the birth plan.... Jeff will be home with the kids until they break my water.Im being induced at 38/39 weeks.I have been induced with all my babies. so anyways Paula will be with me all morning while he is waiting for the call. Ethan is our very needy child so our goal is to make it easy on him while Im away. Im hoping this will be a fast birth and the kids can be in the room once they arrive with daddy and then stay with us until its close to the pushing time. we are thinking Hannah is old enough to stay and watch if she wanted but she is very sensitive and that might scare the living crap out of her. She watched a Baby Story on TLC and does great but I remember when I had Cody and she was 2 and she remembered seeing blood on the floor or blanket and she talked about that forever because it scared her.So we will ask and give her time to pray and think about it. So much to post so little energy............

This and That

Its Monday with a down pour yet again.My kids say April showers bring may flowers but I'm thinking floods! Our backyard is like a river and of course our labs think that its play time.They lay in it, like the puddles, dig big holes and then go in the dog house.They remind me of kids. Although my kids really want to play but I'm sick of the mud in my house so I wont let them.I did let them go out for a few minutes today in the front yard but Jolene got her pretty dress all wet and I brought them in.My husband had a nice 3 day weekend.he worked his butt off here but at least we were under the same roof and in the same bed for 3 nights.He was able to rip the laundry room floor out and get that cleared away so Tony can come in and replace drywall and put new bamboo flooring in. We had a really horrible water leak right after we moved in and had to move all my school room stuff and store it in my kitchen/dinning room and bring my school table in the kitchen right after I just got it all cute and ready for school.Nice I know.BUT after this week it will back to normal and I can have my dinning room back and pantry finally done with shelves.I had to the pantry for 2 book cases and a desk while this "mess" was in the way and im so ready to have a pantry its nuts. we had a wonderful Easter at my Mom and Dads Sunday.Lots of eggs and my mom gave us the rest of the ham and we had it for dinner last night, some this morning and we had it for lunch.It was that good! Chase was really crabby at Easter and was causing some stress for some people but hes 3 and he has been sick and been though alot this past week.I didnt think twice about it.Im so use to littles and their melt downs. Chase has a concussion I would have posted earlier on but life has been busy.He is ok just needs to take it easy.This happened Thursday night after the little boys were playing rescue hero's on the sofa.Chase was on he floor my the sofa and Ethan was flipping around on the sofa and kicked Chase right smack in the eye causing chase to stiffing up and go limp in the legs.His jaw locked up sideways and he totally seized.Scared the living day lights out of Hannah and me.we ran him to the ER and he was not happy ro have to doctors touching him or even looking at him.Chase would let the nurse put the bracelet on him and I finally told the nurse she needed to back off because she is freaking him out. doctors for reason bother me more than anything. They think toddlers should just there and so what they ask.Right! If I was little and had people touching me and asking me things you bet Id freak out and yell.Im an adult and if someone bumps into at the store I get pissed.They wanted to do a cat scan but I kept telling them no that what if when he is older and for some reason needs a cat scan but already had one.It causes cancer the more you have them and even one time a child can cause damage to them.he finally let the nurse& doctor look him over and they sent us home.They wanted to watch him for 4 hours since he wouldn't sit still.But since he wasn't throwing up and his eyes were dilating they gave me a list of things to do to him over the next 48 hours. Jolene and Chase are on the last few days of taking their antibiotics.uhhhggggg its never ending around here. Jolene wants the moby wrap all day and I want to clean and sleep. BUT I love the snuggles and mommy moments I have been having them.I watch Hannah and Cody talk and be with friends and I just think "wow" my babies aren't babies anymore and I have to remember to stop blinking. Its amazing to me that Hannah will be 13 this year.My sweet chubby little nursing until 2 and half baby is almost 13! I have been looking back on the years that have gone by and being so young with having 2 babies.By the time I was 18 I had Hannah and Cody.I was a single mom and honestly had nothing to complain about. My God giving plan was to be a Mom. I had the best the support from my family and took raising my babies like I was I had been doing it for centuries.I remember always praying that one day Id havea husband who had a good job and wanted alot of kids and wanted to homeschool. I remember always wanting to homeschool Hannah when she started kindergarten and my Mom always telling me no I couldn't.I would always get so mad but I lived under her roof and felt I couldn't. I hated taking her to school and she be gone all day away from me.It was hard. Meeting Jeff was such a blessing from the Lord. It was like He was saying to me" Jen, Im answering your prayers." Its been amazing to be married to such a a guy I prayed for so many years.A guy who puts me first and wants nothing more but to make me happy.He is just such a manly man and takes his job to heart.He works so hard for us and doesnt say one thing about.If I need something I go get it or he brings it from Indiana to me on the weekends.he makes sure ever weekend before he leaves that he has everything for me taking care of. You just have no idea how blessed we are here in this house.I have been so busy taking care of babies and kids and the stress of everything around me.I have been going 100mph and havent had to breathe.Life gets likes this sometimes and how you handle it makes a huge difference in the children later in their life. sure there those moments you go to bed and pray about the way you handle something with one of the kidsnad wish you have done different.we have those moments we go to the kids and WE say sorry for yelling like that.Id love to do alot different but I cant. I can pray and make the future easier.I know yelling at one child only brings out the anger and disrespect in one.I know that not praising one child for doing chores makes that child sad.I know that clapping for child who just peed in the potty come out with a his lip down because mommy didnt act happy.I know that if I dont read to one child he just wants to watch tv all day.I know my husband like to hear how amazing I think he is.
And theres school. yes school. we had planned on being done by May but thats not happening.So we have decided to school all year.It will be a lighter load for them but we just afford to not do math and reading.Theres just no way.Im still having a hard time finding something for English.I asked my friends and everybody uses something.I looked at all of them and I loved them but for the kids that are two totally different learning styles nothing looked like it would fit them.Not sure what we will use but trust me Ill find it! I was also looking at My Fathers World K. I know I had said I wasn't going to use a full curriculum for the boys but realized they asked everyday to do school and are really thriving right now.Chase who is just 3 is awesome!! If you have used the MFW K or 1st grade please tell me how your kids did with it and what all was in the year.

Happy Birthday Cody!

My kids at the zoo the other day.

The 3 boys looking at something I dont like.

Cody yesterday with his new gear!

My man Cody showing me his good looking pose.

Happy Birthday Cody!He turned 10 yesterday and we had a busy stressful day.we started our day at Urgent care waiting for a doctor to see Jolene and Chase.As we sat and waited for over an hour we got in and out.Turns out me baby girl has an ear infection,sinus infection and bronchitis.Im not one for antibitics but we need it.Chase has an ear infection and nasty sinus infection which needed some antibiatics too.He is doing better, Jolene is still coughing hard and very tired but she only woke up once last night we slept though the storm so I know it was a much needed rest for her.After that trip I took the kiddos to lunch at Steak N Shake for Cody only to have waitress who was no smarter than a rock.we had a glass of water spill all over Cody and she brings me 2 nakins! yes 2!! So im really mad and she knows it and so does her boss.They gave kid shakes for free and that ws that.His pants were soaked and he doesnt like to a center of attention and that made him mad.After that we headed to target and he picked out a neat DS game,skate board, knee pads,wrist graurds and knee pads and a gun.He was happy.Did I tell you he also got a lawn mower?? that was is topper from his uncle Doug.we will do a birthday party for him on easter day since the family will be together anyways and theres no need to have everyone spend more money on gas than needed. On a sad note the goat my Mom got right after I had Cody died on his birthday :( we cried and remembered the times we had with him.I had just had Cody and was bottle feeding these 2 sweet goats.I loved that.Sorry he died but he was 10 and lived a great life. We also made a homemade cheese cake and we ate every last crumb! it was so good.

Jeff will be home for 3 days this weekend! he has alot to do so we wont be having family time but at least he will be sleeping in the same house!

Im on my porch waiting for these major storms to roll though.we have storm chasers from discovery channel and the weather channel over the St.Louis area and its crazy! I lovemea good storm just not at night! Now my spell check will not work so bare with me on this post you get to see how well of a speller I really am! I have dinner in the oven! I feel like I have done alot today.I put up my new valance in the kitchen and I put up curtains in the living room. They look so cute and I hope the hubby likes them!

Laura Elizabeth Ownby

We found out Friday we are having another girl! Woohoooooo girls rule the house! In honor of Laura Ingalls Wilder we are naming our baby Laura Elizabeth. Just beautiful!Cant wait to hold and snuggle this baby.I look forward to nursing and rocking and all the wonderful things a new blessing brings to a family.We havent done anything but school work and clean.I had some homeschool friends over for a day of fellowship and that was so nice. The weather was amazing and the kids played hard. Over the weekend Cody had a friends sleep over and we had a birthday party to go and the I babysat my sisters 3 kiddos.Sunday my sweet sexy husband bbq for us and we enjoyed the weather by trying to fly kites.With 60 mph winds we broke alot of kites.We only have 3 weeks of school left before I declare summer break wooooohoooooo!! Im ready to lay out and tan this big white growing belly! It pays to not have neighbors close by people. Theres alot coming up this spring and it makes me tired just thinking about it all, but its all good times..... Here's somethings Im thinking of tonight....Im very excited to be learning about the Feast and Holy Days.As we learned about Hanukkah this past winter and now we will celebrate that just as we do the birth of Jesus on Christmas.Very excited about the Holy days and we have been reading the bible about them and doing research after research and loven every minute of it. Im also thinking about the people who judge others because they do not fit into their idea of what a Christian should look and act like.The bible clearly states WE DO NOT judge.My walk with God is so much more real and honest when I stopped trying to fit in to this label of people.I wore a skirt for 2 years and hide myself from the world and my husband because I thought and looked down upon and gossiped about if I didnt look or make my kids and I act the way they did. I hide myself for so long and made my sweet children suffer along with me.Once I broke out of my shell and God told me he loved me as ME.The big loud mouth tell you how it is really kinda girl.I love Jesus and we teach our children to by theGlory God.We do that.But God made us all different and he Likes that! I dont have to be like you or wear what you wear or act like you.I love our God and teach is commands and we follow.But my children will have black hair or blue hair and they will wear shorts and paint there nails wild colors and my boys will be rowdy and crazy and get muddy and manly.Thats how we roll.but if you like to do that Ill love that about you and cherish that fact.It doesnt make us better people for what we wear.I love my dear friends who only wear long shirts.Why? because thats who they are and they are great people! I like the fact I can talk like sailor and my husband doesn't even blink.Why? Because thats who I am and he loves every drop of me he can get.He knows my love for Jesus as we Jesus is a huge fact in our daily lives.Sure I pray for helping in holding my tongue because God doesnt like that but im human and when the f bomb flies out of my mouth or when I stub my toe on the chair and I have ugly words fly out of mouth its all good.Don't judge because I dont care how Holy you think you are words happen.Im also thinking about these people who are suppose to leading believers on a walk and they are faker than Dollys boobs and so many people dont realize this until they are betrayed these very people.I pray for them and pray hard.Bless them! Thinking that id love to have my garden tilled and ready which im not seeing that getting done.WHY? Because I'm lazy! well not really but lets use that. Id also like to start going through all these totes and getting rid of the clothes we dont fit in and our out of season.The boys all have so many clothes and if you saw my 3 boys play out side you'd know why I keep so many extras for them. But I really dont need to keep 3 totes of clothes the boys dont fit in either.Hannah has I think 2 totes she has out grown and I know everything we saved last year for her will no longer fit.She is almost as tall as me.Jolene has bags and bags of clothes for this spring and summer.Thanks Aunt Paula!!! I'm so ready for her to wear them! carpi's here we come!!!

Update :)

Cody I think back in Jan.So cute!

Ethan and his get-up

Chase after Hannah got ahold of him.

Grandma with hannah banana

well I have to say the husband does not clean up here in Indiana.I just spent the better half of my morning scrubbing and changing out the shower curtain. he keeps the kitchen spotless and the living room ( I'm thinking that's because theres no kids here to make it a mess) but he uses whats called grandpas soap and it likes pine tar.Dark brown and sticks to everything.Its clean now and I'm sure he'll be happy :) Yesterday before we came up I had another ultrasound.The beaner was dancing and waving at me.every time I see a beaner it just amazes me that I have that in my body and I'm growing a baby! Amazing! He/she is looking great and we are still waiting on Jeffs blood work.Once the results show up Ill post what I'm talking because if I try to explain it now Id loose all of ya and that wouldn't be good. But baby and I look great.I'm measuring at 16 weeks and ill be 11 weeks Friday.I look like I'm 7 months preggers! But hey i love being preggers and ill take it! The kids are busy building forts with blankets, sofa pillows and tote boxes.Hannah is just getting up and its 11 am!!!! can you say teenagers!!!!!I brought little school work with us just our readers and Hannah's math.Hoping to relax and just be.we will leave here Sat and Jeff will follow after work that day only to have him home for 18 hours! I had planned on going to the history museum on our way back but I left Jolene's big stroller and Moby at home so that wont work for us at all! Maybe next time! I'm going to hit all the resale shops out here and found a crib!! i have yet decided on how ill do Jolene's room with another crib.But my bedroom is BIG and I'm thinking ill put the new baby in with me until he/she sleeps through the night.So that means until 3 years old in this house! Jolene is up and down all night long still.BUT last night she slept forever and when Jeff and I woke up we had 2 little boys in the middle of us with all our blankets! They were sleeping in the living and how and when they got in bed is still a question?!

well i must go and do something......not sure what but something :)

week 10 and doing good

Jolene showing me her pretty teeth

We love mud around here and any time we can play fight in it we do!!

My 3 boys got really into it so Hannah and me joined!

My 5 blessings at a park in Indiana!!

I have hit week 10 with this baby and feeling better everyday.Im not as tired and crabby as I was but Im a woman and we are all usually crabby from time to time anyway so whats new ;) We have had storm after storm here in Missouri and they have had some scary straight line winds that look worse than tornado's at times.I love a good thunderstorm but the bad storms are no fun with no husband around to keep me down to earth.we had many trips downstairs late at night with the littles not knowing what is going on.Needless to say im ready for spring but the storms can be gone :) School is going good but slow.My girlfriend bless her heart gave me all her 4th grade Abeka! I still need Math 4 and some readers and I cant think what else..... anyways she saved me alot of money.Now i have to buy 7th grade Abeka and really looking forward to using this.I have all of grade 2 so the little boys will be good in a few years.I had thought I wouldn't buy them a set of books, but I still love Rod and Staff preschool and their packs are so cheap and all though we have done the packs twice now, Ethan is just now realizing Letters make a sound and a word.Chase is right behind him so we have decided to go ahead and stick with those packs for this year coming up. We have all our seeds for our garden and getting ready to plant them in there containers for our seedlings to sport.Im hoping to do a big garden this year so we can can and freeze and have enough for the winter.Would love to work on a chicken coop but honestly im one woman with a handful of kids and my time is all over but building something.Im very blessed to have a Mom who is very handy and good at doing stuff like this.Did I tell you she is the one who put in all my posts for our fence! I didnt do even one!! I was busy inside with the littles while her and Cody were working hard.

I have another Ultrasound Wednesday and then we are heading to Indiana to see my husband.We are waiting for his blood results to see if he is the carrier for the antigens I have.I have tigers Little C in my blood. With Chase I had little E and C and Jolene I only had E, with this one I have C and thats scary because it can cause problems I wont get into until we know who carries them.SO we are waiting and waiting and its causing exploding thoughts for me! I leave it in the Lords hands and thats what comforts me the most. We are also on the hunt for a 12 or 15 passenger van.Needs to be in our price range and nice. we found a few but nothing that really held for us. Well I most be off to do some laundry and cleaning!......

The desire to be a super mom

I'm struggling with keeping up with my large family. Early weeks of being pregnant are in full swing and knocking me out.I HATE complaining but at least on my blog I know just about every one reading this has a large family and has been here done that so I don't feel bad.Im tired all the time.I also think that with my husband gone and only home for 18 hours is tuff on me because I have no help from him.Hes not here for me to lean on or to complain to and no one can make that up for him.Somebody else just wont do for me. I take my folic acid, vitamins and all my drops for my water but its not enough.Theres one day out of seven I feel like I did something.Its so hard to get up and get motivated to get everyone up and ready for the table. Then everyday its a total shock to my 9 year old that yes indeed you have to do English. Then I honestly struggle with him for about 2 hours everyday to get it done and we don't because he has won.We found him a tutor and im praying that will help.I know in homeschooling you cant " get behind" but you know your planner and you know where you should be and we aren't.I'm really looking into different curriculum's for English for him and maybe even Hannah.Rod and Staff is boring to him and its not colorful which is what he needs.If you have ever looked at or even tried Rod and Staff you know they are advanced and they really push the work.Which is great for the child who wired for that like my Hannah but Cody is more a chalkboard kinda kid and likes everything oral.I brought Easy grammar and I'm pulling sheets from that so the tutor can have those and I might just put Rod and Staff away for another child.Im also switching to Abeaka on just about everything for the new school year.We loved My fathers World but honestly it was kinda plain and boring also.I love the books you get with them but I feel ( as a history buff) we are missing out on US history and goodies like that.I have just about all the readers for history in Abeaka and we look through those and love them.I cant see spending another $400 on MFW when we just use them for alittle reading. I'm glad we tried it and I love tall the books we got with the first set and we know our maps and countries like the back of our hands now.But now its time for Us history and the men and women who shaped our country and made it what it is.I also use Abeaka Math on Cody right now and its the only math book we found out of many many currics that we really likes and does 4 pages everyday.Not that I make him do that many its because he likes it.He now is doing times and division like he knew it all along.we haven't gone past 3s yet but that's huge for a boy who hated math a few months ago and couldn't get long addition and now does it with out blinking.His reading is still a struggle but all kids have their time and we are getting there. I have also decided not to buy a kindergarten set for the boys this coming year. we have work books we get at the dollar store and those are great for early learner.I think reading out loud to your littles is the best thing you can do for them. READ READ READ. Get them involved in everything you do from laundry to cooking to bathroom cleaning to sharping pencils for the big kids.They learn the most from being your shadow( remember they watch your every move). I plan to take a 4-6 week break this summer and then hit hard core before the baby is born in the fall.Then we will take maybe 2 weeks off, only if needed. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow morning and hoping to see if theres one or two in there.I have belly that has popped like a basketball.I'm fat yes but this is now round and when I lay down its like a ball.I know its because I have had back to back babies for 4 years but theres always that chance with the more you have. and it runs in the family.I'm freaking out if it is.I like my single babies. I saw my sister do it and it was hard.Although she made it look so easy and had routine since the day she brought them room 6 years ago.Right after she had the twins she found out she was expecting again! He is now 5 and keeps her hopping more than the twins ever could! I love that little guy!My brother is also expecting their 4th baby in August.they thought for sure they were done and JD was the baby.But the Lord has other plans and those plans were to have another baby.Its really fun to have some one in my family due around the time I am because we always text each other funny stuff and compare everything. Kinda fun. we spent a week in Indiana last week and had skunk problem! He is living under the house over there and he SMELLS!!! makes a horrible screaming noise all night long keeping Jeff and me awake.The smell the day we left was so bad I thought for sure I was going to have to soak in tomato juice for weeks.It was bad. Jeff said he heard it again last night but it doesn't smell.That just means he is no longer afraid of the smell and its now a "normal" smell to him!!Gross!! we have had some really good mud fights with the kids since all my yard is solid mud. What else has been going on??? Well not alot beings I'm tired and I'm tired.Alot of nothing and I feel really bad about that.The kids are so good at watching movies now its sad :( we read alot but really I don't want to move alot and don't have a desire to clean,cook,help or anything.I know it will pass and I'm praying for that day to get here quick.
As usual my stupid blogger wont download my photos again!!!!