That's a Momma Diaper!

Yeah, so Sam and I joke around with one another when either of our diaper babies has a shooey and who's gonna change it. When Zekey has one of his major foul diapers and Sam happens to be present at that time, I say, "That's a Daddy Diaper!" (A dirty look from Sam usually follows this remark;) Anyway, I just asked Zekey if he went poopoo and Braden looked up at me and stated with a smile, "That's a Momma Diaper." Aw, man! Gotta go change a poopy...

Freddy's Frozen Custard vs. Steak and Shake

Okay, I know we might be behind the times and all, but we just discovered a steak burger. In my defense, I've seen Steak and Shakes many a time in the past, but because I didn't know they were steakBURGERS, I just wasn't interested. I'm not really a steak person per se, you see. So anyway, we were in Manhattan, KS going to Wally world and there was a Freddy's Frozen Custard across the street and so we decided to try it out. Oh my giddy aunt! Sooooo yummy!. Yeah, I have a new favorite burger joint. Aside from EZ's in San Antonio, this one is pretty great. I love the burgers. I prefer thin patties and they are thin and are very flavorful. I also like their fries. They are shoestring fries and I even like the little containers the fries come in - a cup. Oh, and the frozen custard...oh, yeah...mmmmmmmmmmm!

Now it just so happens that we went to a Steak and Shake the next week to see if it compared. They have the same kind of fries, though not nearly seasoned as well. The burgers were similar, but lacking and the shakes were good, but not near what Freddy's produces. The one thing Steak and Shake has over Freddy's are the little mini burgers. Braden loved them. I like that one of their kids meal has two mini burgers with fries. One for each boy. That's pretty neat. Maybe I can put in a request to Freddy's?:)

Here's the link to Freddy's Frozen Custard so you can see if there is one near you.

The Spam Museum

We did go to the Spam Museum and wound up having a great time. The boys had a fun time right along Spam Fan Sam. It was fun for me, too and I have to admit that I did get a t-shirt. Ailey Grace is the only one who didn't and that's because she might have fit into it for all of a few months and that's it. Anyway, here is our picture montage:

This is their wall of spam. (The cans are empty;)

Don't bite me patch

Sam's mom told us about these patches and after looking in several walmarts, we finally found them. They are a natural insect repellent and its a sticky patch that works for up to 36 hours and its safe for kids. I used one and it does indeed seem to work. Just thought those of you with an abundant mosquito population would be interested if you haven't already heard about these. Here's their website:

www.dontbitemepatch.com

My mom-in-love ROCKS!!

Remember this post? Well, my mom-in-love had one that was her mom's (Grandmommie) only its way bigger! O JOY! I'm seriously excited about this thing. Here's a pic:

I'm thinking the possibilities are endless! Potlucks, picnics, other stuff......you, know, possibilities!

She also found an earring and broach set and another pair of earrings that she thought looks like me and gave them to me in to remember Grandmommie by. The set is calla lillies and the other pair is a green stone set in silver. They are sooo pretty and I am so honored to be the keeper of such treasures. I also think its cool that someday I'll get to pass them on to my daughter(s). Here's what they look like:

I was also given this T-shirt:

Its pretty special because now I and my sisters-in-love have one just like our mom/mom-in-love and her sisters-in-love. She even got it in green for me. (My favorite color, in case your wondering what the big deal is...)

Am I blessed with a thoughtful and creative Mom-in-love or what?!

Hairtastic Accessories

Okay, so I've been inspired lately to accessorize my daughter. That's right! Abundant bows...can't you just imagine all the lovely outfits with their lovely matching accessories?! I know you are excited, too! ;) Those of you who grew up with me know that I was totally NOT into bows and hearts and pink and purple and any type of frills. I'm still not really, although I have entered pink into my wardrobe along with more feminine lines/touches and do try to wear some jewelry and hair accessories when I feel like it. Having a daughter has totally opened this whole "accessorization" thing up. I mean the possibilities, people!

It all began with the desire to make her a baby headband. You see, I don't frequent baby boutiques except once in a blue moon. For one, they are expensive...I don't mind paying a little extra every now and then for something ultra-cute, but when you want a variety of something...yeah, expensive. For another, I am basically a one-stop shopper. I have three kids now and unless I have another adult with me, I can't keep track of all the grabby hands, so you see my dilemma. I also don't want to be in and out of the car all day so unless the shop is right by walmart, target or a craft store, I'm probably gonna pass it up. Yep. So began my quest.

Because my husband has drawn my attention to the phenomena of squeezed baby heads that result from crazy, too-tight head embellishments, I really wanted to be sure that whatever I made was comfy for my Ailey Gracie girl. I attempted to crochet one myself, but lets just say that it wasn't what I had hoped for, so I kept looking in the baby section of my one-stop shopping locations and finally found a two-pack of pink and yellow baby headbands on sale! You know I love it when something I'm searching for is on sale....oh, yeah! I also looked in the girl section where the hair accessories are and found some stretchy headbands there in many colors. I also got some girly ribbon, which just so happens to be a first for me. Pink ribbon...wow, how times have changed me!;p I also have a huge bag of buttons courtesy of my mom many, many, many years ago. Another thing I wanted was to be able to change out the bows/embellishments between the headbands, so I decided I would attach snaps to each of the headbands and embellishments. Yep, now we are talking full-scale crafting project. I'm giddy just thinking about it. (Just so you know, I'm being silly but its true I do enjoy a good, involved craft project.)

I have already put all the snaps on the headbands and have made several bows, but I started running into a bit of a technique problem. I know we've all seen the boutique hairbows and I just wasn't getting how to make the silly things. So, what do you do when you need visual instruction? That's right, go to your very own adult home/craft school via YouTube! I just have to say that I love me some YouTube and am very grateful to those crafty people who take the time to put up instructional video tutorials. (Learning to knit is still waiting in the wings....) In my search process, I found a lady who shows how to make a boutique bow from start to finish. She also shows how to make woven ribbon headbands. The videos are below if you've wondered how to make bows, but didn't have time to look up how to do it. Also, she sells a little kit to make them super fast and easy and looks really great for kiddos. Plus, she sells the materials to make what she shows you, so here is the link to her website: www.hair-hardware.com . And also her Simple Bow Magic video -

I also found some suppliers for those stretchy crocheted headbands on ebay, so guess what I'm waiting for in the mail?! OH, the fun!!!!! Gotta go make me some bows. I'll have to showcase them when I'm done. I know you are just dizzy with anticipation.....

These are the Headband Videos:

Oreos and other addictions

So...we've been really going through the Oreos lately. As in the box of original Oreos you buy at Sam's club, Oreo Cakesters, those opposite ones with the chocolate in the middle and the shortbread on the outside and just today the limited edition Strawberry Creme Oreos. Yeah, we're addicted. Sam is strictly an original Oreos kinda guy, but the kids and I are just fine with trying them all out. The strawberry ones are particularly good as are the original flavor cakesters. All I have to say is mmmmmmmmmmm.......yummy!

Cream Soda floats have been made in abundance in the Dyess household lately, too. Well, its hot, you know and we have to cool down...yeah. Its really a necessity when you get right down to it. PLUS, its got liquid in it for hydration and milk products for protein and stuff... So, really its a crime not to consume a daily dose of Cream Soda float. Here, I'll prescribe you one: 1 Cup (I won't tell if its one of those "big gulps" from the corner store;), ice cream - enought to fill the cup leaving only occasional gaps between the cup and icecream, 1 bottle of cream soda (I prefer IBC in the glass bottle) - pour until your cup nearly runneth over. Enjoy! C'mon, you know you wanna!

Ailey Grace development update 2

She rolled from back to front today!

Ailey Grace development update 1

She rolled from front to back today!

Moving Madness!

We've made to Kansas after a full on got to get there road trip.  We are all tired and trying to recover from well all events in the past two+ weeks.  We're getting there. :P

This is the oddest situation we've been in as far as a place to stay.  There is a decided lack of rv parks in this part of Kansas.  We are near Fort Riley and there are several state parks and 3 or four rv parks, but they are all full!  Not kidding...no vacancies.  We were very blessed to get in the place we are right now because the owner had a 3-week vacancy until July 1st.  So we are good until then.  We are searching out a place for July 1st on.  We, of course, don't know exactly how long past then we are going to be here, but we are pretty sure its going to be at least a week or two so we have to find a place to stay for that time period.  If ever there was a good opportunity for an rv park, its here.  I'm so amazed at how busy the ones here are.  Even the day spots are booked.  Its crazy!  We've also got issues with being able to get on the internet and make cell phone calls.  The signal is very intermittent and usually weak in both cases.  Oh, well, gotta make do.

Moving on...the kids are all great and growing fast.  Sam is still pressing on even though it has been a crazy 2 weeks and I'm just hangin' in there.  We went to Calvary Chapel of Manhattan today and it was so good.  We walked in and felt at home.  We hung out afterward and talked with the pastor and a couple that just so happens to live in an rv as well.  It was nice.  They were having a pot luck at the church this evening, but we didn't go because we had a lot of laundry to do and had to go to a laundromat.  Aren't laundromats interesting?  Good people watching opportunities there. ;p  Anyway, maybe we'll get to go next time.

As far as we know, Nebraska is the next stop for us after this one and then supposedly Meridian, MS again.  We are looking forward to seeing our friends there again.  If you think about it, please pray about our moving situation.  Its definitely harder to move with three kiddos, especially when one is an infant and nursing frequently.  We really want to settle down and we are waiting for God to provide a job in the place He wants us to be.  We are praying that it is soon, but mostly that we wait with joyful hearts and great attitudes for His timing no matter what!

Okay, I think that about does it for now.  I've been baking again and need to take some pictures and do a post about my culinary exploits.  I've also got to post about our Spam Museum tour...yes, we did go....and that's all I'm saying about it for now.  You'll just have to wait in suspense for the whole, hand-wringing, nail-biting story!  Mmmmmwwwwaaaaahhahahahahahaha!

BTW- I hope all my just-had-their-third-baby mommas are doing great!  Vanessa, Reina, Mollie...I remember my (and Mollie's:) sister Jennifer once saying that going from having two to three was the most challenging and I am agreeing whole heartedly!  I don't feel like I have enough hands at times, but I truly love having these kiddos!  To think that Sam and I had truly decided against having any more kids after Zekey.  I can't imagine not having little miss Ailey Grace.  We would have been seriously missing out on such a blessing and adventure!  I'm so glad God worked/is still working on our hearts about children and I'm glad we've given our fertility over to Him to control.  Kristina with your second - what a cutey pie!  You've inspired me to get Ailey Grace some, as Sam likes to say, brain squeezers (aka baby headbands), only I'm gonna make some myself - crochettastistic!  And Angelyn and Juliette - you are my heroes, nuff' said.

Over and Out

We're getting sent out again.  So soon, you say?!  Yep, says I.  We are going to be heading for Kansas today.  Don't know for how long.  Anyway, the optimal rv park is booked up, so we are having to go with another one that is farther away.  We also don't know if we will have internet access so I don't know if I will be able to update for a bit.  We'll see.

We are really hoping God has a permanent stopping place for us soon.  We are REALLY ready to stop moving!!!  We are praying and waiting on Him for that answer.  We want to settle where He wants us, of course.  We just hope it is VERY soon. ;)

Extra, extra! Read all about it!

Two things of note:

First of all, our new niece Lauren Avery C. was born yesterday!  She came out at 7 lbs 4 oz and 21 inches.  Happy Birthday Lauren!  We hope to meet you soon.

AND...Ailey Grace is laughing!  Yep.   She surprised me as I was changing her diaper two Fridays ago on May 29th.  I totally got sidetracked and forgot to write about it!  Silly me.  Anyway, I must have been really amusing her because she just got so tickled and kept on laughing.  Its quite a little belly laugh, too. :)  The funny thing is....that's the only time she's done it so far.  Apparently, nothing has amused her enough.  Oh, well, I'll just have to keep trying.  I love hearing my kids really laugh.  Its a beautiful sound. 

Its cold outside!

We are doing much better.  Sam was feeling lots better later that same day.  I really think it was just exhaustion.  I, however, am making a slow comeback.  Monetezuma's Revenge didn't last more than that first day, but I have been weak ever since.  In the wee hours this morning I thought I was going to be spending some quality time with the porcelain bowl of doom, but I drank a good amount of water and apparently my body changed its mind.  Anyway, I'm hoping to get a lot of rest today and get back to my regularly scheduled craziness tomorrow.

On another subject, the weather here feels like fall.  This is the third day it has been overcast and rainy.  Its COOOOLD, too!  It reminds me of our trip up the mountain in Flagstaff, AZ last year.  If you missed that little morsel of a story, you can read about it here.  Anyway, again its June and we are in our winter clothes again.  Craziness, I tell ya!  Oh, and the days here are VERY long.  It get light around 5:15 am and gets dark about 9:15 pm.  Its kinda wreaking havoc on my mind.  Its weird putting the kids to bed (yeah, if we actually succeed in getting them to bed on time! HA!) and it still being light outside.  I'm used to that at 8 pm, but 9 pm?!  Strangeness!  According to the forecast, its supposed to be partly cloudy all week long.  yay...no, really..yay. :(  Gotta find something for my very energetic boys to do so we don't all get cabin fever.

Something else I wanted to mention is we went to Craftsdirect.  All I can say is, "I LOVE THIS STORE!"  Its like a craft store warehouse.  Its huge!  We went yesterday and I got some fabric that was on sale.  My intention is to make a replacement cover for Ailey Grace's carseat.  I need to get a few more yards, but I'm biding my time and using my coupons.  MMmmwwwaaaahahhahahahaha!  We'll see if I actually get that done before she is out of said carseat. :p  I also got some scrapbook paper at the closeout part of the store where they were having the last day of a sale.  45% off of the entire purchase, using the least expensive item as the base cost.  So, basically, each page was supposed to be $0.50 each.  I got six sheets and paid a The cool thing about this place is they honor Michael's and JoAnn's coupons!  Nice...  Both of those stores are here, too.  Gotta get to JoAnn's, too while I'm here.  My plans are developing nicely.....yeeeessssss...... Now, if only I can convince them to honor Hobby Lobby coupons, too.  Too much to hope for? :)

Well, maybe it'll be nice enough to get out at some point this week and I can take some pictures.  We'll see.  Oh and another thing.  Its very possible that we will be leaving here shortly.  I know, I know, we just got here!  Its just a rumor at this point, but its one of those pretty, almost definite, for sure ones and we are just waiting to be told when we are to go.  Its kind of a shame because there are so many neat things to do here in MN, especially right here in St. Cloud.  For instance, I really want to go here to the Clemens-Munsinger Gardens.  Its gorgeous!  We drove past it and its just very picturesque.  Plus..its free!  You can't beat that.  There are also the Lakes north of here.  Sam really wants to go see Lake Superior.  Don't know if that will happen or not.

Okay, I'm needed for an intervention of some kind, so I'm outta here!

Montezuma's Revenge...take two!

Yep, I've been sick for the last two days and while my body is no longer involuntarily ridding itself of whatever is causing the sickness, I'm still feeling a bit puny today.  I must say that not being pregnant and having this yuck is way better than being pregnant and having the yuck.  See this post for reference. ;)  Now Sam is not feeling too great, but I'm hoping and praying that's he's just plain tuckered out and all he needs is some rest.  I've been praying over my family asking God that He would protect them and keep them healthy.  If you think of it, I sure would like to have some partners in prayer for this!  Thank you.

I know I promised some pictures, but because of not feeling very well, I won't be taking pictures until I'm all the way better.  Plus, today is overcast and I don't think the pics would do this place justice.

Okay, my arms are getting tired from typing.  (Seriously, feeling weak and puny!)  I hope all of you have a great, wonderful, blessed day!

A little Mom-bragging...its all the rage

You know, I really need to brag on my mom a wee bit.  She's a pretty awesome mom.  Let's count the ways together, shall we?

1.  She had me and raised me.  That alone is amazing, especially since I've become a mom myself!

2. She encouraged me to be independent and self-sufficient.

3.  She believes in me.  No matter how crazy my life gets!

4.  She loves me unconditionally.

5.  She loves my kids.

6.  She is almost solely responsible to for my childrens' wardrobes. ;)

7.  She introduced me to the world of health food, homeopathy and organic products.

8.  She has a great laugh.

9.  She is generous.

10.  She cares for the people most others don't even want to acknowledge.

11.  She loves the Lord.

12.  She is creative.

13. She is intelligent.

14.  She has a great sense of humor.

15.  She will help in any way she can.

This is really only the tip of the iceberg, but I think the point has been made.  I love you, MOM!

More Bradenisms

We had scrambled eggs the other morning for breakfast and as I was whisking them up, Braden turned to me and said,"I sure do like strangled eggs!"

We had to replace a fuse in our rv a couple of times and Braden got to take a good look at the fuse panel several times.  After pondering the panel for a few moments he asked, "Why are those confusers there?"

This place rocks!

We've made it!  What a beautiful state Minnesota is!  We absolutely LOVE the rv park we are staying in!!!  Its out in the country, has pretty big spots with concrete slabs and a picnic table and has lovely places to walk around.  We will go out tomorrow and get pictures and then I will show what it looks like.

So far...

Well, we've made it to Minnesota.  We aren't to our final destination, yet, but we are close.  We decided to stay the night at a KOA, so I'm able to do a little update via wi-fi.  First of all, its really pretty here and right now it is 72 degrees.  The high was 78 degrees as apposed to the 92 degrees back in Salado!  Crazy!  

Okay, so far we've had an interesting time of it.  Since we've had the motor home back from the shop we've had the bathroom air vent hood screws come out of the bracket, so when you open it it turns all funky.  Then, the fuse for the blinkers has continually blown.  Yeah, probably a wire grounding issue there.  Also, right before we left, I put the awning out and it wouldn't roll back in.  Seems to indicate the motor is going out on it.  

Now, then, since we've been on the road, Sam's motorcycle decided it didn't like being all tied up and so made a break for it and fell off of its carrier.  Praise God we were near our friends house when it happened and so caught it in time to help gently lower it the rest of the way to the ground.  Sam drove it the rest of the way up the street to their house and put it back on its carrier.  Sam thinks we hit a bump, the shocks compressed and a couple of the hooks came loose.  Whatever the cause, we both know that God was watching over that thing and allowed us to be in a position to get to it in time.

Then, yesterday, as we were headed on down the road, the awning decided it needed to be free to flap in the wind and so did!  The whole thing came unraveled and got pretty good and messed up.  It even left lovely scratches as forget me nots.  Yep!  Fun times.  We were on a toll road in Kansas and a state trooper stopped long enough to make sure we had the tools to get it to where we could get moving again.  When that was determined, he made a mad dash outta there!  I don't blame him because it was a daunting task.  Sam, however, got it done beautifully!  What a champ!!!  We both could have lost it...we both really wanted to just let that happen....let our yucky attitudes take over and throw hissy fits.  AND, you know, I don't think anyone would have blamed us if we had.  BUT, God's been busy showing us how to have self-control and to hand our frustrations, irritations and crazy situations over to Him and to keep our peace during the trials we face.  I'm not saying that we've succeeded in every situation so far, but in that one, we did.  We spurred each other on and encouraged one another and it was a nice place to be.  We are inspired to be in that place more and more often.:)  God is so good!  He never said we wouldn't have to deal with junk, but He does give us the ability and tools to take care of the junk with a good heart and a good attitude and come out the other side of the situation a better person with lots more faith.  Nice.

So, basically, we have some things that need to be repaired on this behemoth that we live in, but we know God already has that laid out for us.  We'll deal with that once we've gotten settled.  We should come to the end of this particular road trip tomorrow.  We are thinking of visiting the Spam Museum.  Yes, you read correctly...SPAM museum!  Sam loves spam.  I do not.  He'll probably get a t-shirt.  I probably won't.  A good time will be had by all. :D  If we end up going, there will be pictures!  We are also going to be passing the Mall of America.  I don't know if we will stop or not.  Probably not.  We are wanting to get settled down and back into our routine.  We might take a little trip to see it on a day off or something.  We'll see.  We feel like the possibilities are numerous here for things to do and see.  Should be fun!

Our Zekers is 2 today!!!

Can you believe it?!!!!  

Dear Sweet Zekeys,

We love you so much and it is such a joy and an honor to be your parents!  We are so excited to see the progress you make every day.  Its so fun to watch you take off after your big brother and try and do everything he does.  Its great to see how much you want to be with him and how sweet you can be to him.  We love how you love and love to see who God is growing you into.  You are such a fun boy and we enjoy all our moments with you!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Dear Precious Heavenly Father,

Thank you so much for our wonderful Zekers.  What a precious gem you have given to us in him.  Thank you for all the love and care you have put into him.  Please show us how to best raise him up in Your ways and help him keep his feet on the path You have set before him.  Thank you for giving us this amazing opportunity to raise up a shining light in the darkness for You.  Please, reveal yourself to him in a mighty way and draw his heart so close to Yours.  I pray, Dear Lord, that he has a heart like Yours and he loves people like You do.  Thank you so much for blessing our family with this sweet spirited little boy!  In Jesus' precious, holy name, Amen.

We love you, Zekey-Weekey!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!