Riverside Homey Fix!

I just came back from my girls' getaway with my dear pregnant friend Alyssa. We met in Vacaville for what Dan named "scrap attack "08". We got a hotel room, and it was all scrapping all the time from the moment we arrived. It was sweats, no makeup, and munchies for two days, in a word, perfection. Not even the draw of BJ's pizza and pazookies could lure us out. Sometimes you don't realize how much you miss someone until you see them again. I don't know if she still counts as a Riverside Homey b/c she's NorCal now. Once you go NorCal, there's no going back! And for all the Riversiders that know her, yes, she looks amazing pregnant!:)
We have Bill and Nancy O'Rafferty coming into town Saturday for the night and we get to have them all to ourselves! It will be so fun to show them where we've been doing life this last year, we are looking forward to a great visit and good conversation with them both. Hopefully, they'll be bringing lots of pictures of Dillon for us!
Sarah Bourns flies into town late Saturday night for three nights too!! We have missed her so much and can't wait to catch up on all the happenings in her life. She gets to witness firsthand the antics of my children, her life will never be the same. I hope no one drops a turd on the floor while she's here...
It gets crazier! Liz Holmes and Bethany Johnson are also rolling into town Sunday for the day too. They're coming to church with us to hear Trav preach and hang out for a bit before heading back down South. I can't wait to laugh with them. These girls are always cracking me up!
Rounding out the Homies are Mike, Holly, and baby Audrey! They're coming up in a few weeks for the weekend, and I finally get to meet Audrey! It is no fun when dear friends have babies and you can't be there to welcome their new little one. I can't wait to have them here.
We have a lot to look forward to!

White Bankey

My son Davey is three and a half and has had a favorite blanket since he was a baby. White bankey has been through thick and thin with him, and I don't know where Davey would be without it. Unfortunately, whenever he holds white bankey, he sucks his thumb, the two go together. He's had an amazingly cute lisp ever since he started talking, and I fear his thumbsucking doesn't help. Thus, the weaning from white bankey has commenced. White bankey is restricted to only being in the crib now, Davey can be in his crib if he wants to hold it, but he can't take it out. The first few days he was a combination of sad but brave, but he soon figured out that he could pull white bankey through the slats of his crib without taking him out all the way, hold him and yes, smell him when he needs a fix. Every morning when he gets up, he gives white bankey one last big smell before he puts him down, it is probably one of the cutest things I've ever witnessed.

Recent Amazing Parenting Moments

Number 3-
Davey calling me into the bathroom b/c he dropped a turd on the floor somehow. It was solid, thankfully, took care of it. I'm in the bedroom reading to Payton and Jonah, Davey walks in, no pants on of course, holding another turd wrapped up in toilet paper, "I found another one mommy!" What on earth?! Needless to say, the bathroom floor got a wipe down
Number 2-
Having lunch at our new friends' house from church, turning around and realizing with horror that Davey is chasing their baby chicks through the grass swinging a bat! It's almost not even funny, thank goodness his timing's off, at least I don't think the bat made contact. Davey also threw and consequently broke their son's toy gun. This is why we don't accept many dinner invitations in people's homes.
Numero uno-
Davey again taking a poop (this kids is stunningly regular) and Jonah walking in and exclaiming, "Oh Davey it stanks!", flushing the toilet for Davey to which Davey screams, "Donah! Don't flush my poopies!!". Jonah stumbles out of the bathroom and says, "that makes my stomach sick!" and then pukes in the hallway!! There are no words sometimes to describe what goes on in this family. Unbelievable

Setting Myself on Fire

I was at my SoulFood Bible study today and leaned over to smell a rose that had a lit candle right next to it. After a piercing scream released by my friend, I realized I was on fire! My hair went up in a big poof of flame and it traveled down my arm. It all lasted about 2.1 seconds from all the quick thinking ladies patting me down. It's one of those things that's so funny b/c it's so ridiculous but then so extreme that you almost feel like crying too. Lucky for me I didn't!
How you transition from setting yourself on fire to leading a Bible study of adult women is a bit tricky. It's not the kind of stuff they cover in leadership training. I've smelled like a strong BBQ of burned hair all afternoon and I'll be spending the evening assessing damage and trimming off the curled, frizzled ends. I think my choppy layer hair cut will serve me well in this, hopefully it will all blend in just fine!

My new lease on life

So I just had a really difficult visit to the dentist last Wednesday that I'm still recovering from. I had two fillings between the same two teeth for the FOURTH time now. Every time I had a baby, this one spot needed work. Indeed I have no fourth child so I have no idea why the fourth go around. Anyhoo, my new dentist is so patient and encouraging, if I can't have Rob Mohn back, this guy is a great backup. He kept telling me I was doing a good job and that it was almost over, but it was a rough procedure, at one point I leaped up in the chair and kicked my leg up pretty hard. You could say I was a little tense. Then, after surviving that I had to go for my cleaning, it was seriously all I could do to keep it together and not cry, I was so over it by then and kicking myself for scheduling both at the same time. And of course, I get the same lecture I've gotten the last several years about my gums. They're in trouble. Again, I fight back tears as I'm hearing the news again. I floss every day, I brush, I'm at the end of my rope thinking that I can actually do something to change the course of my dental health. And then, came Sonicare. I got it the very next day. I LOVE this thing, it's like a drug, I can't get enough of it. My teeth feel SO clean after, cleaner than after a dental cleaning, and it's great for my gums. I have hope again. I can't wait to go back after six months and get my next gum assessment. It better be AMAZING!

Davey's special gift to Trav

Trav turned 35 on Wednesday and we celebrated with family and hot fudge brownie sundaes. Davey provided the entertainment by stripping down to nothing, tossing his underwear at Trav and then proceeding to climb all over him to finish it off. He cracked us up! We have no idea what drives him sometimes, he loves an audience.

I couldn't post any of the pictures with his butt in Trav's face, but this one gives you an idea of how it played out. It took some coaxing to get the underwear back on.
It makes me nervous for my own birthday coming up!

For my Swedish Sister

This is for Sara who wanted to see what her engagement ring looked like on someone's hand. Davey was a ready volunteer:)

And, on an adult hand for contrast. It's really pretty!!