A few quick jobs

Here's a look at a few of the quick jobs that came next.  The front entrance got insulated and the plastic was put up later that night.  Also our beautiful window was installed above the front door.  It lets in sooo much light...I love it!

Here's the view from outside....note the staircase leaning against the house.

The new stairs were installed in the front entrance.  Here are the up,

and the down.

Here are the garage doors being installed.  This guy was hilarious....he loved to chat.  He also loved to SING!  He had his headphones on and serenaded us all afternoon!  It was not good.

I don't know why I didn't take a picture of the doors when they were finished.  I guess I know what I need to do next.

Here is the fruit room emptied out and we're starting to rip out the shelving.

Down comes the drywall and insulation.

Here is the shell that was left until we moved the wiring and the the heating guys needed the space.

Next we moved on to demolishing the closets from both of the upstairs bedrooms at the end of the hall.  We needed the space for the stairs to go up into the addition.  This picture is looking at the closet in what used to be the master bedroom.

The framing all comes down.  You can see through into Marens room through what used to be the closet door for that room.

This is looking down the hall

That whole wall and doorway are no more.  All the prep work is now finished and we're almost ready to cut a big hole in the end of the house for the new stairs.  Carefully and properly of course!

We also got another load of gravel for the muddy driveway and the cement guys also needed some more so they could get the prep work done to pour the stairs in the garage down to the door that will be the new back entrance into the back hall.

Here they are getting ready.

They filled this in with a little more gravel and then came back and poured a few days later when they were in town doing another job.

That's probably enough for now.  I'll add some more later.  I'll try to hurry and catch up!

Momentum

I am going to try and keep the momentum going and jump right into Micah joining our family.

Micah is my Valentine!  Literally!  He was due on Valentines day and he was actually born on his due date. Again I had the epidural and it was as heavenly as ever.  Once again we struggled with names.  Surprisingly, we only ever had trouble with the boys.   The girls had their names picked out way in advance, but with the boys, we always waited to see what they looked like.

Micah was definitely a Micah!  Here is the 'before' shot.  I still had 2 months left to go, yikes!

Here we are 1 day old...isn't he precious?

This one always makes me laugh....what a classic Evy face!!

I told you he was my little valentine.

Here he is in his blessing outfit!  Gramma webster made the vest and Gramma Brinton made the blanket.

Micah was as good natured as a baby as Maren and Evy.  Always happy and smiley.  Very calm and relaxed.  He slept well, and a lot.  The kids were big enough to all be good helpers  The only sad thing was that I got thrush in the first few weeks of nursing him and it never really got better.  Nursing was sooo painful that I had to quit at 3 months and switch to bottles.  That was Hard!  I loved nursing my babies and I had a feeling he might be my last and I didn't want it to end.  The pain took over though and we made the switch.  He did just fine.

Here's a few more pics of our MicahBoy!  Sharlee and I went to visit Gramma and Grampa Webster  on the mission in Salt Lake.  I think this was in April.  Anyway, we finally got a picture of him having a bath in gramma's sink!

What a happy guy!  I love that grin!

Momma's little helper.  We were fixing and sewing some dresses for Mom.  I think Eden was finished her snack and was wanting to be let out.  She's so cute...even when she's upset!

Look at that face....and the dimple!

4 months old now and he's sitting up!  what a big boy!

Cool Dude!!!!

Micah has always been full of personality.  He keeps me laughing all day with funny faces, and he says the funniest things.  He is full of questions, and mischief!  He is always getting into something and wanting to see how much he can get away with.  I am learning a lot of patience now that I am a mother of 4.

As much as I may get frustrated sometimes...I love being a mom.  I wish I was better at it and made less mistakes...but I guess that is the point of families.  We are all learning together.  It will be fun to take a few trips down memory lane and record more of the fun memories of the kids in the early years.  

I think I'll start jumping back and forth between past and present from now on.  Try to keep track of all the fun things that happen everyday around our house, and mix in a little from our past adventures.

This is getting ridiculous!!

I can't believe it has been another year!  I swear I am the worst blogger in the history of the world.  My problem now is that I have 2 different blogs going.  I think when our renovations are finished I am going to import all of these posts over there and only have 1 blog to take care of.

I did say renovations in the last paragraph, although, it's more like a total home makeover!  Those of you who know our house won't recognize it when it's finished.  Things are still progressing, but they never go as fast or as smoothly as we'd like.

Anyway, back to the kids.  That is why I started this blog after all.  I am regretting my decision to start at the beginning and work my way forward.  It's a lot more daunting than you'd think.  I think I'll skip right to Evy being born and I can always fill in the gaps later.

Here is Evy.....

Evy Diana Brinton was born on August 28, 2003.   We waited quite a long time in between Blake and Evy.  If you read my last post then you'll know why.   We had just moved out to Magrath and in with my parents.  Steve graduated from university and had gotten a job working at the Credit Union in Magrath.  It was really fun to be in town and have him working there too.   Maren started preschool that September and so it was a really exciting time for us.

I had an epidural this time around and I'll tell you - that's the ONLY way to have a baby!  Things were so quiet and serene in the Delivery Room.  I slept and rested, visited with my mom and other company that came up to visit.  I think Steve even took a nap and read his book for a little while.  Of course things got a little busier when it came time to push, but even that wasn't so hard because I was so rested and so much energy.  After it was all over and they took me to my room, I knew I needed to rest but I felt like I wanted to get up and run a marathon!  And that's saying something...I don't run...ever!

Here are some more pictures.  This first one is her meeting her big Sister and Brother for the first time.  We gave Maren and Blake their own new 'babies' so they could 'help out'.  They loved those babies.

Grandma Webster - that is the blanket she made for Evy...it was soooo soft!

STRETCH!!  A signature move.

Look at that face - I want to smoosh those cheeks!

Isn't she sweet?  AWWW!!  I miss my little cuddly cutie!  She had such dark hair and lots of it!  I am still surprised how much her hair has lightened.   I can't believe that my little 'Evalina' is turning 8 this year.  She is getting excited for her baptism.

Evy was a good natured baby.  Maren was a good baby, but Evy was even more relaxed and content.  She rarely ever fussed - even when she was hungry.  She was super smiley and good natured.  She used to nurse and then liked to be left alone, so I would lay her on the nursing pillow on the floor and she would just 'hang out'.  She'd lay there for an hour or more sometimes.  I would go downstairs to check the laundry, or have a shower, or check my email and would forget about her.  I'd run up the stairs feeling like the winner of the 'worst mother in the world award', and there I'd find her - asleep!

She was my most active baby in the womb and so after she was born it would frustrate me to see her be so still for so long.  Family and Friends couldn't believe how much she would move and stretch inside me....it looked so freaky!  It didn't feel so great either.  I do have to say that this layed back attitude didn't last forever.  As soon as this girl could roll over and learned to crawl, she found her energy and she hasn't stopped yet!

Alright, I need more pictures!  Let's start with cuddles from dad.

This is in here ONLY because it is her favorite picture.  She laughs hysterically every time she sees it!  Little Munchkin!

Daddy is always sooo silly!

Here she is with both her Grandma's on her blessing day!

We've got to have a bathtub picture!

OK, 1 more just because I love her sweet little face!

We will continue on with Micah, who joins us 3 years later and then we'll catch up to where we are now and fill in the gaps as we go.  Love you Evy!!