How to help your hubby get more exercise...

Step one:  Go to a department dinner/end of year meeting-celebration at the park with the fam...

Step Two:  Take the kiddos and head home right after the dinner part, telling hubby you will come and pick him up when the meeting-celebration part is finished...

Step Three:  Come home, busily get the kiddos situated and ready for bed

Step Four:  While doing laundry after the kiddos are all settled (about 1 hr after coming home)... 

               remember that you left this...

                                ... in this...

Step five:  Retrieve above pictured phone to realize in horror that there are SIX missed calls from hubby, with a few 'sweet' messages...

Step six:  Call hubby, to find out that he started walking, and is only about 5 minutes away by now... (and note that it is still about 85 degrees with 80% humidity outside...)

Step Seven:  Own up to the fact that there is no excuse, explanation, or answer other than simply groveling at his feet at the sheer act of stupidity...

...Oops...

... Hey - at least he got some exercise, right??!

A sure fire way to tell...

...If you have skipped nap time...

... so I was trying desperately to reclaim some sort of order and cleanliness to the house in honor of a visit from family (nothing like a visit from family to spur a cleaning spree!!), and as I was doing the floors, I rounded the corner to find that Joshy had found his own little 'bed' (and no, I hadn't mopped the kitchen floor yet... ewwwww!!! oh, and thanks to our new, fancy camera, you can see in VIVID detail just how grimy the floor really is!  - when I pined after this camera, stouting the great detail it would capture... I wasn't exactly picturing dirt detail... but I digress...).  Yep - just another check in my 'mother of the year award' box... 

To my Dad...

I love you and I miss you on this Father's Day.  

I couldn't find a picture together, so I put this one of you with Sarah... (and it was depressing how far back I had to go back to find this picture!  It's been WAY too long since we have seen you).

What can I say?  

You taught me how to live by your word, but more by your example.

You taught be how to hoe beets, by telling me how, and then  physically being there beside me. (...okay, the promise of cinnamon rolls at Prices didn't hurt, either!!)

You taught me your testimony by sharing it in church, and by living it in our home.

You taught me how to work, by telling me to do my chores, and by being outside working with us.  (after you flipped on the light, tore the covers off, and belted out the Cougar fight song...)

You taught me how to love, by saying that you loved me, and then showing me that you loved me.

I could go on... but I'm afraid my tears will ruin the keyboard... I miss you so much, and will never forget the lessons I learned from you (and continue to learn from you).  

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, Dad

I love you

Just a hop, skip, and a jump...

... a really LONG Jump

       .... okay, a really, REALLY LONG Jump away....

Some days I just miss my mom and dad more than others. 

Today is one of those days...

Love you and miss you!!

Stay safe and hurry home...

So you can then come and visit us here!

... or better yet, come and visit on your WAY to back home...

... or come out to MN on your next mission...

... or just pack up and move on out here... ;)

... yep... really missing you today (and every day!)

Bye Bye Blue...

PULL OUT THE PINK!!!!

The BIG Picture...

...Is in TWO days.  Can I just say, I am so nervous I can hardly stand it??!

(and, no, this is not a real picture of our very own baby... just some random ultrasound shot off the internet... I'll scan some of ours in when I get some time... or energy... or just plain desire... oh who am I kidding, it's probably not going to happen for quite some time, so you can look and this and just guestimate about what ours looks like)  (personally, I think they all look like aliens at this point...)

Okay, so with baby #5 why am I so nervous??!  Well, I'll tell you... I don't know.

• Maybe it's because this is the first time we have found out in utero since our first go around

• Maybe it's because after 3 boys I am SO ready for a girl I can already envision the cute pink and purple onsies, complete with matching JoBows (you ARE still going to make just a few darling bows in your spare time, miss Jolene, AREN'T you??!!!)

• Maybe it's because I was SO sure that the last one was a girl, that it took me a few seconds after delivery to realize that it wasn't a 'girl with extra parts'... I had, indeed, just delivered a boy... (and was glad I had stuck a couple of boy 'go home' outfits in with the whole bagfull of girl 'go home' outfits for our new guy)

• Maybe it's because my father in law called a while back to say that he had a strong feeling that we were having another boy (ummm, yea... thanks for that one, Steve!!)

• Maybe it's because this just may be our last one, so I'm trying to really take pause with each stage, really trying to mentally capture the memories before they are gone for good (okay, let's be honest, some stages I would like to pause, most however, I would really like to fast forward, and then be able to replay in the pause mode...)
• Maybe it's becuase I am just overly hormonal, and can pretty much cry at the drop of a hat lately...

• Maybe it's because I am always just a touch on the 'dramatic' side, and this is just another way to add stress and anxiety to my life...

So, what's your guess??  Now is the official time to cast your vote for "What will the Brewer Baby be??!!"

P.S.  If you say boy, I just may reach through the internet and poke you in the eyes... 

P.P.S... not that I'm hoping for any one gender or anything like that...

P.P.P.S... If it is a boy... I will be happy.  Really I will.  I love guns.  And swords.  And Jedis.  And Random Karate chops to the belly.  And potty training wild-squirting fire hoses.  I do.  Really I do. :)

P.P.P.P.S.  Seriously - I wouldn't give up my boys for anything - I really do love them more than I ever thought was humanly possible to love anyone!  

I HATE School... except...

... Here is an excerpt from our dinner conversation last night...

Dad:  "How many days of school do you have left?"

Seth:  "3 Days!!  I can't wait!!"

Dad:  "Can't wait?  I thought you liked school."

Seth:  "No!  School is SO BORING!  I don't like any of it, except for  math... and reading... and art... and science corner... and p.e.... and group time... and music... and recess... and lunch time... and..."

the list went on, but we were laughing so hard by then, we didn't catch the rest.