My Favorites- swaddles, storage, slides

1. Swaddling blankets by Aden & Anais. They are 100% muslin. Extra large for wrapping babies. Lightweight. I just wish I'd had them for every baby. The nurses in the baby nursery at the hospital asked me "where did you get these"? Target sales them for the best price around online. You can find them at Land of Nod and other boutiquey type stores as well. In a pinch, I use them as a nursing cover as well. A discovery I found from a friend.

2. This thing was ugly. I need a long (6ftish) narrow (30 inch) cabinet for my kitchen area. I hunted on Craigslist. Finally I found it. Ryan and his Dad drove into boise and picked it up. Ryan said, "are you sure? this is ugly. this is heavy." That's the one I told him.
My 38th- almost- in-labor-week, we refinished it. I took some inspiration from here at Shabby Nest. Really, just minimal sanding required. I used a wet paint sand prep. A 3-4 hour project on and off a couple days.

Each kid has a school drawer. The arts and crafts all have a spot. The junk drawer is full already. And 2 years from now when we leave this base and Air Force life, I will garage sale it. Or maybe Ryan will use it as a work bench area in the garage. It won't hurt because it didn't cost much.

3. My Banzai Lagoon. This thing is sturdy. Goes up so fast. The blower is quiet. It has a sprayer that my little boys like off- but when it's on, the slide is fast. We've had it almost 2 weeks (I was waiting for it to go on sale at Walmart). I love that you don't have to get out of the pool to climb the ladder to go down the slide- keeps the pool cleaner. Except when Jacks throws pebbles in it. My kids have loved it. Just like I knew they would. Well, well worth my pennies. (Walmart is clearancing them down below the original cost of $399- I got mine for their cost of $225). Snow cones and nursing (just like I said.) Now I just have to get Ryan on it.

Our Road Trip/ Family Reunion

(This is a dandy of a post. I've been working on it for days. )
As a preface. Even though we had this trip on the calendar for a while. Having Charlotte (5 weeks old when we left) and then the move to base and kids home from school made me all a bit wore out. I almost talked myself out of going. I am so so glad I listened to Ryan, who guilted me by saying he couldn't go to his family reunion without me. He could have. But I would have sent him with all 4 kids. :)
We started off heading to Salt Lake to have a Kentucky reunion! We stayed over at our friends parents home (thank you Gold's!). We arrived Pioneer weekend realizing that this was indeed a true holiday. Bigger than the 4th maybe? We visited the animals at Lagoon, went to the Farmington park festival (was it Farmington or Ogden or Orem or where were we? )and met up with Kristi and her beauty twin babies and caught Jamie G. in town as well. Such a good visit. Love you all!
Kristi, baby Ben, Angela & Jed

We left Salt Lake for a stay over in Reno to break up the drive to Hillsborough, California, just outside San Francisco.We arrived to my young Aunt Julie's home on day 3. She has the most beautiful home and was so generous and thoughtful and had everything on hand to make our stay there so welcoming. She never made me haul all our kids out to dinner either- which was such a relief. Homemade dinners were awesome, cousin Maddie tolerated my kids adoration, her animals were fed well by my little boys (a bite for me and a bite for you), we went to the park and visited and my sister Summer and her kids were there the whole time. It was a perfect visit.

Julie's home, elusive Julie, awesome park

We left Hillsborough for Pismo Beach, California on day 5. Ryan's grandma hosted a family reunion and treated us all to almost beachside suites. I am so so glad we were there, so many good memories made and babies and family member finally met! Ryan's grandma (in the tie dye) had a heart bypass and had been sick, but her wish was to have this family reunion with all her living children- 6 daughters and as much of their families as could make it. Ryan's mom, a daughter, and the rest of us were in the red shirts.

The Williams clan- missing the Cory part for sure!

Ryan's Grandma, holding the 2 newest great grand babies. Charlotte's on the left.

Ryan's mom is the young blond ;). Lots of cousins.

We had a talent show on the beach.

Our kids performed to a hannah song.This was serious business for Landon.

Cousin Macee had the dance down so well (maybe because her mom was the director?)

Ryan's brother Barry, our BIL Nate and Ryan's brother Sean

Is is okay to mention that I love these guys? Such good uncles.

Ryan's sisters, Jill and pregnant Angela. I tell them I love them. I hope they know it.

Cousins Brock and Mckenzie

My father in law. Such a blessing to me. Taught my Ryan how to be.

beach time, chilly and breezy, but still fun for the kids.

We had a hot dog roast on the beach the final night. We also had an auction and all the proceeds went to the church humanitarian fund. We left Pismo on day 7 and headed over to bakersfield where I got to see my long lost dearest friend Stephanie! It was a fast visit at her home- which is so nice. We met her fun Grant and had lunch and got back on the road again to Fresno (really Sanger). No matter how much time passes since we lived in Bakersfield, my life stills feels connected to that place. Emma was born there. And Stephanie makes it so too.

stole this off Steph's blog...

Grant, Christian & Elyse

We arrived at Ryan's childhood home, the Sanger Farm, and stayed overnight. We enjoyed Ang's taco's. Nate graduated from PA school and Ang threw him a graduation party. The waterslide they brought in was a hit.

cousins Brock, Grandpa on the tractor with Tate and Kynzlee, Mckenzie

Uncle Nate's ride, Jackson wants to drive it.

On day 8 we blessed Charlotte. We've never blessed a baby outside the church, but I loved that we had a good portion of our family there to help Ryan.

Emma's blessing dress as well.

3 generations

She always smiles the best for her Dad.

I'll love this picture forever.

Brothers shaking hands after the blessing. Made me cry.

We packed up and hauled it back with the kids kicking and screaming to stay. We stayed the night in Reno and had the longest almost miserable ride home to Mountain Home on day 9. Charlotte was done in the car and the drive is desolate past Reno. But you know what? It was all worth it. We saw so many people we love.

Just back...

From a road-trip, ie, 9 day vacation. To Salt Lake, then Reno, then San Francisco, then Pismo Beach, Bakersfield, Fresno and Reno again. On the road again was our song.

We saw so much family and caught up with best friends. Ryan blessed our Charlie with all his brothers minus one (we missed your Cory and Cari!) . I loved that day! Vacation pictures to come....

School starts in a week. Football takes over next as well. Swim team wraps up and we both got new callings. I was promised "they won't wear Ryan out." Can I say I hit six weeks and a bit of a wall. All those late nights visiting and nursing a newborn are catching up. Two things I love so much. Family and friends and my sweet little Charlie....