Thoughts....

Okay, So i've been having a negative attitude toward this whole blogging thing...not sure where I fit, and how to do it. Do I just blog about random crap that happens day to day, or do i get deep and personal and really put myself out there?....So I just stopped for a long time until Sean asked me what was up with my blogging, in which case, I start blogging about random crap.....
However, today I had my eyes totoally opened. Which may seem so miniscule, but it has really made me think and get excited.....

So my friend Stacey Baxter dropped by and we are hanging out and talking and she is telling me she discovered the Stirring Community of blogging. She goes on to talk about how awesome it is to have a community that is so close......so I've been thinking about this all day, it hasn't left my mind. And I realized....we ARE a family. It is awesome that everyone hangs out on eachothers blogs and comments and is SHARING our lives together. How awesome is that?! Here I have been so down and negative on the whole thing, while all the while, missing out on something so exciting happening underneath my nose! So why not get personal, and share whats really going on? We are in this together. I am so blessed to be a part of a family that is connecting, and interested in each others lives. I have been so excited about this all day.....which kinda sucks cause now i am gonna start blogging more, and getting emotional....dang it.

Back into Babyhood

I have been re-initiated back into babyhood. I forgot (only after 2 1/2 years) how much extra laundry a newborn generates. Spitting up, blowouts, burp cloths, more spit up, uh oh another blow out....awesome.
Last night...actually the past two nights, have been awesome. I have been up with Ryder, obviously, feeding him or changing him and two nights in a row now one of the older kids come in in the middle of the night and crawl into bed with us. Okay, first of all, not a whole lot of extra room in our little queen-sized bed. Sean, Ryder and I, and now one more body. And second of all, these little extra bodies crawling in, to my discovery are soaked!! They wet their bed, wake up and think, "i'll go crawl my pee soaked body into bed with my mom who is already drowning in milk and spit up...why not?!" GROSS!!! At this point I am like come on in and join the nasty party! So, last night I get up change sheets (half asleep), put Caleb back to bed, crawl into bed....Ryder now blows out his diaper. Are you kiddin me? Now he is hungry again...
These are my nights....and then the kids are up at 6:00. Shoot me now. Here comes the gallon of coffee. Coffee is my sanity.

Love

Ryder. Kid #3 in the Gafner family. He is amazing. It seems like each one of our kids just keep getting better (as babies) and everytime people always tell me (mainly my mom), "Oh just you wait, God is going to humble you!" ......so I will just have to keep waiting. But really, he is such an amazing baby. I keep almost forgetting him when we go to leave...he doesn't ever let you know he is around. He sleeps. He poops. He eats. Repeat. Happy mom. Amazing. Its just crazy to me how something so small can have my heart so much. And also how my heart can be completely given over to so many things. Sean, Skylar, Caleb, and now Ryder. It blows my mind...It makes me think about how much love God pours out to each of his children, and how he loves us so much individually. I am just so blessed. I feel overwhelmed by Gods love and love for my family. I couldn't ask for anything more right now......

well, maybe a little bit more sleep......

Question- Will four by-ing (sp?) in the back of a truck with four kids, and riding on the back of a little 50 motorcycle with your son spur on labor?

Tried it.....

Answer- No. Just hurts your body.

Torn

Memorial Weekend.

What the heck??!!

So basically every day I am checking Weather.com to see if by any chance its going to rain. But since we live in Redding chances are sunny. And not just sunny, but hot. But I still check. Still hold on to the hope that rain is somewhere in the forecast. I get shot down, on a daily basis. So for the past 3 weeks or so I have been counting....literally counting on my calender, days till Memorial weekend. Why? because we planned on going camping. Why do I love camping? outside of being up in the Pines. Tents. Bikeriding. Fires. Camping food...mainly Seans camping food--amazing. Relaxing. Being with poeple I love. But on the top of that list is cooler weather. Getting out of the heat. I was ecstatic. So we had planned to go to Lassen. What do I do? Check Weather.com. Rain. Not just rain, Thunderstorms. Okay, okay, thats way up there in the mountains....we'll go more local. Shasta Lake. Weather.com, again. Rain. And Thunderstorms. NOOOO!!!! I feel like a trader. I love you rain, but why, Why, WHY on MY CAMPING WEEKEND??!!! So we go, we brave the elements, I am actually praying AGAINST the rain!!

However, we get up there with my parents, my brother and his kids and the Edwardsons and have the best day Friday. Cloudy. No rain. I am loving it. I am still praying. Friday night, little sprinkly...no problem. Friday night, through the night....full out deluge...I am still pretty optimistic at this point...still no problem. Saturday morning, still raining...still optimiistic, we are powering through this. Everyone starts packing up to leave...I am still holding out to sun. Now i appear to be stupid, as my son is sliding through mud. Kids are screaming. Everything is completely soaked. I curse the rain. We start packing up.

Worst part. I cursed the rain.

Rain, I am sorry.

Pancake Breakfast

Crowds energize me. Anything that makes me feel part of a community. I love parades. I LOVE 4th of July. I love Cool April Nights. and I LOVE the annual Redding Rodeo Pancake Breakfast!! Every year since the time I can remember my mom dressed me all up in my cowgirl gear and we carpooled with all my friends early in the morning before school, to the Pancake Breakfast, and I have always loved it.

So this morning Sean comes home from his 6 am coffee with Matt Hartley and is advising me that this is (was) Rodeo Week and that tomorrow morning is the Pancake Breakfast. My mind goes into somewhat of a freakout mode..."Sean, what day is it today?" "Friday, Rebecca", he replies, "Pancake Breakfast IS THIS MORNING!!! We gotta go!!". Sean is amazing and knows me and how important these events are. So we, at 7:45 this morning kick it into high gear, even though the kids and I already had full bellies......who can't always eat pancakes, come on! So we load up and set out.

I was a very happy woman this morning!! But I am so much of a crowd person that I was inside really bummed we weren't there earlier for the rush rush. Next year. I will not let it slip by me that easily again. I will be more prepared.

Heat

Seriously?!! We are in the hundreds already??? Kill me now. I absolutely despise the heat, it makes me cranky, and not just because I'm pregnant, because it is miserable. Uggghh. Not looking forward to today.