I Love my little family

This is the view from a little hill in Manhappiness. It's flat, but beautiful.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about how much our lives are going to change in the next few weeks with a new baby and starting another semester of school. Every time I think about it I get a little choked up, or I sob uncontrollably, you pick. When Molly was born I was so afraid that I wasn't going to love her as much as Carter, or that I wasn't going to be able to love Carter as much as before. I instantly found this was wrong as soon as I saw that sweet little ray of sunshine with the biggest eyes I had ever seen.
Now that number 3 is getting closer and closer I am starting to feel a little bit the same way. I know that I will love her instantly and there will be plenty of love to go around, but I am so full of pregnancy hormones I can't help but be a little too emotional about things like my kids.
I thank my lucky stars and my Heavenly Father that I have the husband that I do. Sometimes having a newborn and two other young children can put a tiny itsy-bitsy little bit of a strain on a relationship, but Tim is such a great husband that I don't have to worry about him feeling left out or forgotten. From past experience I know that he will give, give, and then give a little bit more to do all that he can to make this family better everyday. He is such an example of to me of humility and love in the way that he approaches parenting and all of the many challenges that come along with it. He is my rock and my everything and I so lucky to be experiencing this roller coaster with him. One of the fabulous things about him is that he makes sure I know how much he loves me, and that feels really good. Here's to another ray of sunshine in our lives babe. I love you!
Sorry about the mushy, gooey, love-sick ramblings but I am pregnant and that gives me the right to be overly emotional.
-Jodi

They are always listening

So I have learned that kids are always listening, this is nothing new to me, but it always cracks me up when they put something together about something you said a long time ago. This morning Molly and Carter were taking a bath. Carter was getting a little too wild, and I told him he was going to have to get out if he poured any more water on Molly's face while she was laying down. So 22 seconds after I told him that, he poured water on Molly's face so that she could get a nice drink of bath water up her nose. As the consequence had been set, he had to get out of the tub now. As soon as he got out he started crying "I don't want to smell like a dog, I don't want to smell like a dog." I guess he heard me say he smelled like a dog long ago on a hot summer day when in fact he smelt like a dog. The lessons I learned this morning were that kids listen to and remember every thing you say and that 4 year olds do care about there personal hygiene.
-Jodi

Rarick Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Rarick Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb - Collage - Morph

Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden (GOLF)

Many of you know that I fancy a game of golf now and then but rarely have the cash to do so (unless Papa Rarick is around). Recently Carter & I went and hit the links here in the Little Apple, and it was a blast. Being our first time golfing in Kansas, except the local putt-putt, we spared no expense and got a cart. I played well but that is neither fun nor interesting. The scenery was gorgeous and lush, the golf course was not busy at all, and best of all it was just me and the C-train............the way golf was meant to be played (see post title). Actually we'd love Jodi to come but with her belly she can't really swing a club. Carter was able to live up to his name and drive the cart when nobody was looking. Talk about over-correcting, he'd try to turn a corner and end up going straight for a tree then turn the wheel all the way back the other way towards the ball cleaners. You would've thought he was 3 years old, not 4..........but I guess he has twelve years to get it. Right past the bridge in the photo Carter informs me that he must pee or perish. So he was able to leave is mark on the course as this appeared to be the only option. I must say that Carter was such a good golfer he putted with a putter and even drove from the tee box with a putter as you can see in the photos. All in all it was quite eventful and I loved spending time with my wonderful son.

Fishing, 4th, and Friends

After a flag raising ceremony and breakfast at the church for the 4th. We got to go fishing with the Eborns (Sad to say but they just moved to St. George, KS). We have been with them one other time last year and the results were pitiful for everyone except me. I was the only one who caught a fish. So we were afraid that we were going to bring some bad luck again. The weather was fabulous! I don't think the 4th of July has ever seen such wonderful weather. Mid 80's, a breeze, and not too much humidity.
As soon as we got to the pond Doug, the father of the Eborns and the official worm killer, saw fish jumping all around the pond. That is a good sign. Not more than 3 minutes after Carter got the first line in the water he was pulling out his first fish.
It may look small but it is a blue gill and I guess that they are not a big fish. So that one is just a little small. Carter just kept reeling them in as fast as Doug could bait his and everyone else hooks. Molly was also determined to catch a fish but I think she would have rather speared it because all she wanted to do was stick her poll in the water and get it muddy. (Boy that girl likes mud!)
She eventually was able to get in on all of the action and got one of her own.
Then Tim and I got a chance to try our luck. I got the Disney princess poll and Tim got the Dora the Explorer poll and the competition began. '
I think I won for the smallest fish. It looked like something out of a small tank, but it was a blue gill. Tim caught one in the shortest amount of time. In the end we both ended up only catching 4.

Carter came in as the winner of the group with 7 total fish and by far the biggest of them all. It was a great day for fishing, and friends. Every time Carter sees this picture with Camie Eborn he tells me how much he loves her. She is a cute girl, he has got good taste, but I don't know how a 4 year old can handle a long distance relationship with an older woman. Hey at least we have got pictures to keep the love alive.

P.S. Jodi did this post not Tim, I am still figuring this technology thing out.

I HATE CHIGGERS!!!!

So I think Kansas has a chigger problem. Sunday morning I woke up at about 3 AM to an itch that wouldn't stop. I went into the bathroom to find 14 chigger bites around my torso. AAAHHHH! For those of you who know nothing of chiggers they are small, so small you can't see them to get rid of them, insects that eat your skin. To do this they have to put some chigger juice in you to break it down. The chigger juice is extremely itchy. They like to go to places where your clothing is tight, think underwear. Sometimes they lay eggs in you and then the babies come out and start feeding on you too. Yes a very pleasant situation. It doesn't help the already itchy pregnant body.
After my discovery I changed the sheets and my clothes and took a shower. But today, two days after the initial contact I have discovered more on my body and 6 on Molly and 3 on Carter. So tonight I am washing everything in my home in really hot water. And thats about all I know what to do.
Oh yeah one more thing chigger bites last a lot longer than a whimpy little mosquito bite. They will last 4-6 weeks and then a few months later they will just start itching again.

But at least I don't have fleas like my little sister Katie does.