Our House!

Go check out our new house!!
There is obviously a lot to be done...we are gonna have our work cut out for us...but as far as the layout, and location and size, its perfect!! God has blessed us hugely!!

45 days....party at the Gafners.....

Click to view listing(s)

Happy Birthday to me!

Last Thursday was my birthday. Great birthday. Possibly the greatest birthday yet (that I can remember). Sean did amazing this year. He got my mom to babysit ALL three kids OVERNIGHT and wisked me off to a hotel for the afternoon and night. So great (did i mention that?). We went to the new Gaia Hotel out in Anderson. #1-didn't feel like we were in Anderson #2- awesome hotel. I felt like I had been at a spa. Its an all organic, natural, eco-friendly hotel. So Sean packed us dinner and games and we sat out on the patio for hours and ate, and played games.....soooo nice. A whole night away not yelling, being hung on, changing diapers, getting dinner, cleaning messes......the angels were singing.






I am not even to the best part of my birthday.....we have been looking for houses for MONTHS. Since January. We've put in 5 offers to different houses. Nothing. We've been patient. We've prayed. We've waited. Prayed some more. Given up. Started looking again.....went and looked at a house last Tuesday. Thought/prayed about it for a day. Put in an offer on Wed. Found out Wed. the bank counter-offered. We accepted. Thursday I get a house for my freeakin birthday!!! Sooo excited!!! How do you top that.



We are totally stoked. I'll blog about it next.


So then Friday night Erica gathered up a bunch of girls and we all went out to Guadalajara for my birthday. So fun. Did I mention that this was the best birthday.....great couple of days. So much fun. Thank you so much Sean, and God (for our house) and Erica :0)

My not-so-little man

Glasses and bracelet, compliments to his sister.....poor guy.





He's just a chunk. 21/2 months. Crazy.

Pre-K

So a week ago today, Skylar started school. I am totally not that type of mom to send her off with tear streaked eyes.....in fact, I think I was more excited than she was. My emotion through it is believing that she is actually 4, and old enough to be IN school!!! It is so crazy. Where has the time gone? She had an awesome day....and week. She came home and cried the first two days cause she didn't want to come home!! I have raised an encridebly indepenant and self-sufficiant daughter. If anything ever happened to me, I fully believe she would be able to take care of herself and the entire family. Unbelievable.

land of the living

I am back. I have been deathly sick (again) for the past two days. This is the second time in over a month I have gotten a nasty infection (caused by breastfeeding). I got it right before our trip to Pismo...and then it came roaring its nasty head again two days ago. Its crazy. You get flu symtoms....and not just flu, like the flu times ten. I have had a crazy fever and chills and sweats for two days. I am not writing for any "poor rebeccas", I'm just saying its SOO nice to be back. My poor kids. I got anti-biotics and this morning woke up feeling like i didn't want to kill myself.

Caleb out to kill himself...#, like 58

So I have come up to grips with the fact that being the mother of boys is going to be the cause of my early death, due to too many heart attacks!!

Already, in Caleb's 2 1/2 years of life, he has attempted to take his life far too many times for my heart to take. Today is Tuesday. Tuesdays are mom group. Every Tuesday, rain or shine, or intense heat we are somewhere. Gymnastics, Whiskeytown Lake, Jump River, Chuck E Cheese, Barnes.....you name it, we are there (we get around). Today, however, we went swimming at Ariel Funderburg's. Hot day today. Cold pool. It felt amazing. We had a great morning of swimming, eating lunch, and hanging out. Until ALL our worst nightmares come true. We are hanging out at the shallow end of the pool, I am holding Ryder. Amy all of a sudden yells, "Caleb is in the pool!" I look down in the DEEP END and he is fully submerged. I literally throw Ryder into Ariels unexpexting arms and Amy and I are on a full out sprint to the deep end. I end up diving into the shallow end (I don;t know what i was thinking...in fact I wasn't, whatever it took to get me there faster) , Amy and I reach Caleb at the same time. We pull him out. A little bit of water intake. He is fine. Mom is not fine. I thought I was going to throw up. My little man. He is so stinkin precious to me that the sight of him floating in that deep end puts my stomach back in my throat. This is my life. Sean did it to his mom. So I know now its my turn. Ay yi yi. Am I prepared for this? God give me strength!!!

What not to do......

...go on a 30 mile bike ride when your out of shape. Yah, we woke up this morning and decided to go on a bike ride. We pack up water and snacks for the kids, break out the bikes, throw the kids in the bike trailer thing, throw Ryder on my back in the snugli.....and take off. Feeling good. 2 hours later, coming UP miracle mile.......not feeling so hot. My legs are spaghetti noodles.

Third baby syndrome

Being the third child......

1. You get brief feedings, as your rushing out the door, or while mom is cooking dinner, or playing with Hot Wheels.

2. Mom changes you when she remembers.....a couple times a day

3. You get left on the sidelines in the carseat while the rest of the family is doing all the fun activities ie; waterworks park, aquatic center, pools, sea doo's....

4. You are basically a play toy for your brother and sister

5. You are a play doll for your older sister

6. You are used as a dummy in your older brothers wrestling

7. You get all the hand-me-downs and garage sale finds

KTM Song

I sing a song about my KTM the only bike I want to ride,

sing about the way the mud, sticks all over the tires,

hear the roar of the engine, sure is loud, sure does draw a crowd,

sing a song about my KTM,

sing a song about my bike.

Sean made this song up for Caleb. It is now both the kids' favorite song. We sing it daily....driving in the car, through stores, nap times, bed times. Caleb is constantly asking for the "KTM Song".

So in honor of the KTM song Saturday night we went to the Summercross Nationals in Red Bluff. We LOVE going. This year we took the kids. They about wet themselves they were so excited. Caleb was doing his "I can't handle this, I'm so excited" dance. It was awesome. And the whole night I had this song in my head. I loved it. Great family night!

Battling

We are in the middle of a crazy battle.
Derrick spoke Sunday night and brought it. I have been chewing on it all week and God has been showing Sean and I so many "battles" going on around us. It IS so important for us to take up our "Armor" for what is raging around us. In our homes, our marriages, our children, our friends, our extended family....Satan is out there to Kill, Steal, and Destroy.....His primary goal. Scary. And when we are down and unprepared, we are going to be attacked.
Subtly.....Killing
Sneakily....Stealing
Slowly.....destroying

I love the picture Derrick gave us Sunday of standing in the gap for our family. When one of our brothers or sisters are being "beat up" AS thier brother and sister, jumping in and fighting for them/ or with them. We need this. We need to be fighting for each other. Including one another in our lives and our battles, otherwise we are out there on the battle field fighting and intense war.....alone. Thats not how it should be. We were created for community. Sharing. Living together. And fighting together.

Eph 6:10-12
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the FULL armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, agianst the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."