It's a....

GIRL!!! I am totally surprised. I was so sure we were having a boy I would've put money on it! But no boy parts were visible and believe me our boys are proud of their manhood so as Steve said, "there were no boy parts hiding!" So Jen and Xela along with our little Charlee and Grandma Oliver, you were right! Yea, a little girl. I'm really going to have to get up early on Sunday mornings to get another head of hair done! At least Megan is old enough to do her own! I'm surprised but getting excited. I do love pink!

Trace was cute a couple days ago he said he wanted a little brother to teach how to play soccer and baseball. I hope he gets to where he thinks its ok to teach another little sister how to do those things. The age difference between Trace and this one hopefully will make them close. Chase and Charlee are about the same age difference and they are very close! And Charlee will have a little sister to grow up with. I hope they are always best friends!

7 Days!

The countdown is on...7 days until we get the ultrasound and hopefully find out what our baby is! The kids ask me daily how much longer. Next Thursday May 14 is the day. Heard the heartbeat again today...ahh no matter how many times you've done this, there is nothing more magical. You can't help but fall in love! I'm in love! Everyone in our house says boy except Charlee and she is still holding out for a girl. What's your guess?

Track Star

On your mark...

Get Set...

Go Break a Record!

Megan's track meets have started. Her first one was Tues night and we absolutely froze! There was a huge cold front coming in...the next day we got several inches of snow! Anyways Megan did good at that meet, I have pictures to post and will try to get that done. I can't remember exactly how she did on each event that day though. Today she is at an Invitational Track Meet (the top 2 from each school for each event got invited) She just called and this is how she's done today:

100 M Hurdles: 2nd place overall time of 17.7 (last year she broke her school record for 7th grade with a time of 18.3. She just broke the 8th grade record with this 17.7 time! :)

4x2 Relay: 3rd place overall with a time of 2.03

800 Meter Run: 5th place overall with a time of 3:11

400 Meter Run: 2nd place overall with a time of 1:11

I'm so proud of you Megan! Wish I was there watching!! Tomorrow we will be in Pocatello at her soccer tournament. You're a Star Megan!!!

Unexpected Blessings

The other day a friend called to congratulate us. At one point in the conversation she said well you know the best things in life are usually just thrown at us. I've really thought about that alot the past few days. Actually I have thought of little less than this very thing for the past several months. I just hadn't put the words together so eloquently in my mind. You see we are expecting baby #5. This is a very unexpected blessing for us. Unexpected but welcome, we are excited to welcome this little one into our family in October. I know that he/she (we're thinking blue) will be the best thing that could have happened to our little....getting bigger! family. Who knew we'd have enough kids for our own Basketball team?

Easter '09

I love Easter. I know that our Savior Jesus Christ suffered greatly so that I might repent of my sins and return to my Father in Heaven. I was struck by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's Conference address last weekend when he spoke of Christ being all alone. No one stood with him in those last hours. Christ knew that no mortal would be by his side. What struck my heart very tenderly was that Christ did not anticipate His Father withdrawing his spirit from him briefly so that Christ would feel what we go through when we suffer spiritual death and do not have the Lord's Spirit with us. I wept tears as I heard this, for some reason it made such an impact on me as to the extent of Christ's sufferings for me. I am so thankful for the belief that I have that I know Christ took our sins upon him and died so that each one of us may be saved. I am thankful to know that 3 days after he was laid in the tomb, he arose on that first glorious Eastern Morn and that I can teach my sweet children that death is not the end, that our spirits and bodies will be reunited once again and we will have eternal life. Sweet is the message of Easter and I love celebrating this special Holiday with my family.

Charlee and I started the weekend by making cookies. Charlee did very good sprinkling the sprinkles on them!

Coloring eggs. Don't you love Chase's enthusiasm?

Charlee has been asking if it's Easter for 2 months! She had so much fun. She is such a joy.

I love the fact that Megan never thinks she's too old to participate in the fun!

Trace always has fun.

Chase had fun, he just didn't want to show it! :)

My Charlee Belle. Such a cutie.

Aren't they beautiful?

With Mom.

With Dad.

Trace will not do a good picture unless he's promised a silly one at the end!

Lovely weekend we had and to top it off - the weather was beautiful!

Forgetful Mom

I feel like such a loser mom right now. Charlee was invited to her very first pajama party tonight from one of her friends in her Sunbeam class at church. They were going to watch movies, eat popcorn and paint their nails. Charlee was so excited she has talked about it all day. I can't believe she didn't say something to remind me tonight! We had parent teachers conferences until 6 and then ran Chase to a friends house then went and got Megan from soccer practice then ran a few errands then finally home and yep here it is 9 pm and I just remembered the party. Charlee is so sad her lip is almost to touch the floor. Darn it!

I promised Charlee tomorrow we would make cookies and take them to her friend and explain it was mom's fault, will that make up for it in a 3 year olds mind?

My plate is just too full...overflowing! How will I ever have enough time or memory or energy???

Cabin fever...Winter Day Blues...Random Thoughts

I can't believe 2 months have passed since I posted. I've enjoyed looking at friends/family's blogs and seeing your fun outside activities in the warm weather and Jen's pictures of pretty flowers. I'm jealous. We are soo lacking warm weather! Idaho definately has long cold springs with TONS of wind! I loved Florida and Oklahoma when the weather would turn warm early in the spring. I'm trying to be positive and not let the lack of sunshine get me down. But I will admit its been difficult.

I am looking forward to conference this weekend and hearing some uplifting words from our prophet and apostles of God.

The kids are doing well. Chase and Trace both wrestled the past 4 weeks. They each won gold medals. They get a gold medal when they win all 4 of their matches. Trace was so excited! Megan finished basketball and is now playing soccer and running track. She has track practice right after school and then goes to soccer practice. It's been so cold I don't know how she does it but she is a lovely teenager with lots of energy and seems to be thriving! Its so cold I didn't sign Trace up for Spring soccer. My mistake, he is sorely dissappointed! I am very sorry Trace! I promised him we would do baseball this year instead. Charlee is my side kick throughout the day. Charlee loves swim lessons. She is so cute in the water with her blonde pony tail bobbing up and down and her purple lips. They don't warm the pool to a very comfortable "warm" temperature. I should post pictures but I need to get to doing something else like 'laundry' so another day.

That's about what we've been up to. Minutes turn to hours and hours into days, days into weeks and before I know it months have passed. Only 1 more quarter of school. I am so looking forward to the end of May, my littlest sister is getting married. I can't wait to go. I miss my family more than words can say and I love every excuse to go home to beautiful Colorado! I am also looking forward to this summer as last summer was not much of a summer for us because Steve was in OK all summer. Looking forward to those baseball games, swim meets, family picnics, camping trips, warm summer nights in the backyard and BBQ's etc. Bring on the heat and summer fun! :)