Love Sundays.

Woke up this morning to a family busily getting ready for today's events.

Sunday is a day we like to spend as a family since we have a hectic schedule during the week.

We all woke up, went and ate at my FAVE restaurant, Old European, and then headed off to Harvest House to pick up some pumpkins.

We got to try their freshly made hot pumpkin donuts....

Oh. My. Gosh.

Best donuts ever. I'm so happy we got a dozen. Ha!

The kids let me get some great pics and we got 3 awesome pumpkins.

Overall I really enjoy our Sundays. It's nice to all be together as a family. I'm so blessed!!!

Be Appreciative

One thing I've truly learned in life is that you need to make sure you appreciate everything you have.

I was complaining about not getting break from my kiddos earlier and it hit me...sometimes, rather than think about all the good I do have, I tend go focus on the negative. 

If we all looked at everything we are blessed with on a regular basis, I think we would all be so much happier. 

Yea sounds cheesy right?

I know I need to work on being thankful for what I have rather than what I don't have.

The grass is always greener on the other side...unless it's not. 

:) 

I'm Baaaaacccckkkk

Finally. I have a few minutes to get back at this. My last post was in May of last year. That is a long blog hiatus!

Here's a little recap of what has happened since then:

I had my third baby, Maxwell Danger last August, he just turned one.  My oldest, Jackson, started kindergarten and will be going into the first grade this year.  The biggest change thus far has been our transition out of the army.

Hubby recently got medically discharged from the Army for some combat injuries which led him to not being about to work.  It took about a year for the whole thing to transpire and it has certainly been an adjustment. The journey we have been on so far has been quite the adventure.

We decided to try out some work in Denver, CO to ease the transition.  We loaded up the van with our things and clan and traveled 1400 miles to Littleton. That in itself was crazy! After a little bit things took a turn for the worse and we had to move back to WA.

In about two days notice I figured out our move back and we had to be homeless for about 3 weeks. Luckily we were able to stay with family, which was so nice...but yikes! Kind of humbling to know you can be homeless without any warning!!!

Eventually we found a PERFECT house right in the neighborhood that allows my kiddos to go to the same schools I went to. Our landlords are pretty amazing.  Hubby has LOVED being here to help with the house duties and the kiddos. He plans on getting a degree starting in September!

I have been really into living a natural lifestyle too! Making a lot of household needs like laundry soaps, lotion, medicines.  We love eating organic SO much and it has been really nice to get into making healthier choices for our family. Hubby and I are in tune with our "inner hippy" a lot and that's been so fun.

ANYWAY!  Now that I've rambled on and on, that's where we are in life. I can't wait to share more "crunchy" stuff with my readers and keep track of all the life changes ahead. So far it has been a crazy ride but I am so thankful for the way our lives after the military has turned out.  Every obstacle we have overcome has put us where we are supposed to be today.

Thanks for reading my mini novel!  ;)

Until next time~
C

It's Been a While!

I just have had zero time to blog lately!!

Last time I blogged was after I found out what the baby was!

Right now I'm 28 weeks and 1 day.  Little Max is measuring in the 95th percentile already so I have to go in every so often for growth check ultrasounds!  Hehe :) I got some good news last time I went in the the Dr, they gave me hope that I might be able to try a vba2c, and that made my day!  I am really trying to avoid another c-section so I will do everything I can to have it my way this time!

The boys have been into some new stuff lately too! Logan just turned 3! He's super musical and cracks me up on a daily basis :)

Jackson is into ALL sports! We knew he was a NFL fan for life, but he has recently expanded his likes to NBA and Baseball!!  We also like to play soccer out in the field a few times a week! 

He is certainly keeping me young!

Hubby just went back to work after a little time off to himself. Much needed I must say! It was nice having him home, and the boys LOVED it.  Hubby was WAY too motivated to clean every day and now I believe he took all the motivation out of the house because I feel like doing absolutely nothing today (hence the blog time hehe!!).

Other than that, I am looking forward to the next few months.  It's bittersweet to say I will only be pregnant for another 10 weeks or so, but I cannot WAIT to meet this little guy! I know the boys are just as excited to have a new brother! I will try to get on here every so often, but I won't make any promises ;)

Until next time!

I'm the Only Princess!!

Yes you read that right, I will be the only Princess in my household.  I have two boys, a boy dog, and now a third baby boy on the way!!

I thought I would be a little disappointed that I would never get my girl (we are done after this baby), but in fact I was just SO relieved that he is healthy and there was no way I could be sad when I saw him kicking and sucking his thumb on the utrasound screen :)

I'm already in love!

We have decided to name him Maxwell Danger Cain... Yes go ahead and chuckle, but we love it.  I don't need any negative feedback as I have already heard it all.  This is OUR child and we love the name so do what your mamas taught you and don't say anything if you don't have anything nice to say :)

The boys are super excited to be having another brother.  I get asked on a daily basis if the baby is coming out yet  :) 

So next on the baby agenda is going back for another ultrasound in a few weeks so they can get some spine pics they weren't able to get yet.  I go back to OB in a few days to get a check up on my diabetes to see if insulin is needed yet.

Otherwise I can't complain!  Everything is going according to plan and we can't wait to welcome Max to this world!!  :)

Until next time ~C

My Three Pregnancies!!

Finding the time to blog lately has been impossible! I recently stopped babysitting for a friend thanks to my demanding diabetes schedule!  I miss the little princess, but it has been nice to wrestle with the boys and cuddle them….if they let me :)

I was thinking about how different each one of my pregnancies has been.  With Jackson, I worked full time and pretty much up until 2 weeks before I had him.  That was fun because it made the pregnancy fly by.

I craved Reese's peanut butter cereal and Taco Bell…ALL THE TIME!  I only gained 19lbs! Gosh I miss that… :)  He was born at 42 weeks….yes he was very comfortable in there!! And we share the same birthday!! He weighed 8lbs and was 21 inches :)

Logan was a different story.  I met Hubby a few months after being on my own with J.  So let's just say I was in a happier place ;) Hubby decided the military was what he wanted to do. He joined, we moved, and it was pretty nice!

I didn't have to work right away but found a job at a coffee place. That was fun!!

I then found out I was pregnant with Logan.  I guess that's what happens after 4 months of no birth control…  :)  Logan decided he didn't want me to work and I had to quit due to some bleeding.

I craved Big Macs with Logan. I could seriously eat one every day. (But I didn't) HEHE :) I gained 35lbs with this big fella!  Logan also decided he wanted to make his appearance early!  He was born at 36 weeks, and weighed a whopping 8lbs 3oz, and was 19in long!  Thank goodness I didn't carry him to 40 weeks!

Now with this baby, it has been difficult from the get go.  Maybe because I am a little older? Or it is a girl?

Gestational diabetes diagnosed at 11 weeks, high blood pressure at one appt, and I cannot gain weight! I have been having some Braxton Hicks as well, and that is not fun!!  I am craving everything I cannot have, from every single sweet treat to nachos, and I am CONSTANTLY starving.

Let's just hope I have an easy birth for all this trouble it is causing in the womb. LOL!!

It's crazy to see how each pregnancy has differed!  I am anxious to know how the anatomy scan goes on Friday. I cannot WAIT!!! I will keep you posted!!

Until next time~ C

Update ;)

Ok. I have been too busy to blog lately!!
So I'm 15 weeks pregnant, and yes it's still taking forever. But good news is I got the ultrasound scheduled for the end of the month and I heard the heartbeat finally yesterday!!
It was in the 150's...that means girl right?! ;) Let's hope!!
So I can't go to an appointment without some sort of challenge coming at me.
I thought I was doing REALLY well with the blood sugar levels. Really, I did.
But turns out the Dr thought otherwise. I'm now on an oral medication until my insulin shots start :(
Yup.
Discouraging!! I had no control over it (besides sticking to my diet, which I did!) so the Dr told me it wasn't my fault. But it still feels like failure!
And insulin??? That's going to be tons of fun... :(
But I will do whatever I can to keep the baby and myself healthy and if that means daily shots then shots it is!!
I have also been writing down some stuff about my previous pregnancies and will be talking about that on here too because eventually I will have my blog made into a book so my kids can see all about their journey of getting here :)

I think I may need some retail therapy soon though... ;)
Have a good day everyone!!

Living With GD.....

So here is a little update since my "Live-a-Betes" blog. I took the 3 hour glucose test. I was feeling very confident because I fasted appropriately, and I had to take it with my second son and passed with flying colors.
This time around I wasn't so lucky.  It was coming close to the end of the day (I finished the test around 1pm) and I got the call around 4. UGH.
My Dr. said the after the 2nd and 3rd hours my numbers were too high. Yes, that means Gestational Diabetes.
She then let me know that I must see the diabetes doctors ASAP.  Sigh.
I then get a call early EARLY the next morning saying there is a class at 1030am that same day OR I have to wait until the 21st to attend.
So now I wait.
Meanwhile I have been trying to get this whole diet thing under control.  Needless to say, it has been HARD!! I have to eat so often and have a certain amount of carbs and protein. UGH. That is hard for this chick who could only keep carbs down at one point!
I will be researching hard and doing my best until I can get in on the 21st.  I will GLADLY take any advice anyone can give me.
Until next time!!
~C

Boy or Girl??

As I am wasting time between throw up trips to the toilet and watching Food Network, I decide I should Google some baby gender predictions.
I know, I know, I'm only 11 weeks so it's probably early to be thinking about gender, but I am so curious!
Turns out there are many old wives tales that tell you if it is a boy or a girl. Here are a few:
~The Show Your Hands test- If you show someone your hands palms up, it is a girl.
~Do you sleep on your left or right? Left means boy, right means girl.
~Has your spouse gained weight with you? Yes means boy, no means girl.
~Craving sweet means girl, savory and salty mean boy!

After reading these I was thinking to myself, "Whoever had the time to figure these things out had a lot of time on their hands HAHA!!"
Then I decided to take a few online quizzes.  This was fun, I must admit!! Four quizzes and a chinese gender prediction calendar later it was decided.... 80% chance of me having a girl.

This was kind of exciting because I do have two amazing boys at home. So since this is our last baby for our family, having a girl would be pretty awesome. (Of course I do just want a healthy baby, regardless which gender it is!)

I think I could be online taking quizzes all day. LOL!!

I have some symptoms that have been unusual this pregnancy as well. TONS of acne in all the random places. My hair is greasy and yucky (it was beautiful with my boys). HORRIBLE morning sickness....which lasts all day. An itchy scalp....who knew this was a pregnancy sign?! I had to even buy some special shampoo for that because I was literally being woken up to scratch my head. And one last amazing symptom, the hair on my legs has virtually slowed to a stop. I basically never have to shave my legs. It is amazing!

With all my symptoms, I have had several friends say I would be having a girl. I will know officially in about 7 weeks I hope. 

Anyhoo, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is on and I enjoy watching it to see the foods I wish I could keep down. :)

Any gender guesses are welcome until the big day of the ultrasound!
Have a good weekend all!!

Live-a-betes

Today is the day I have to check for gestational diabetes.
What?!
I'm only 10 weeks along!!
This pregnancy has been one wild time.
With both of the boys I was not sick whatsoever. Ever since I found out with this baby it's been "all day and night sickness". Whoever named it morning sickness is totally wrong...
I've lost two pounds so far, gotten some acne, and can never get my hair to look right.
Stealing my beauty this baby is.
Poor hubby gets to see me in sweats with no makeup on almost every day!
Then I wake up today and decide to try on my jeans....
They ALREADY don't fit. At TEN WEEKS. They say every baby makes you get bigger each time, and I'm agreeing with those people.
With all of my bloating the dr decided to get me into check for diabetes within my first trimester. Scary.
So I have decided to call it live-a-betes because that sounds less scary. Haha!!
I will let you all know how it goes as soon as I know!!
Oh and ps I have included a pic of the pos pregnancy test taken on Dec 23rd :)

Until next time!!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Winter on the West Side of Washington SUCKS

SOOO did you all know it has been since Oct 5th when I blogged last??? Sad. I just have had no time to really sit down and blog I guess!
Recently, I have been cooped up in this house. Yes, it decided to snow here in the Tacoma area, and needless to say they pretty much shut everything down when that happens. I remember growing up in Spokane, Wa and PRAYING for a snow day here and there because we would get feet of snow. But that never really happened. Ever.
So far my hubby has gotten the ENTIRE week off from work (except for Tuesday when the weather was good) and there has been no way to even drive in these conditions. (Due to people not knowing how to drive in snow).
We got about 10 inches in the Ft Lewis area!! That is ALOT! After the snow dumped it was followed by freezing rain. UGH.
Now everything is frozen and branches/whole trees are falling all over the place.
It's sort of deadly.
LOL

Now as I type this the regular Seattle rain is dumping on us, hopefully to melt all of that crap outside.
I really need to get out of this house soon.
Or I might go crazy.

:)
Hope you are all staying safe and warm!
Until next time,
~C

The Daily Cain Mess

So as my boys continue to pour out every single toy they own on the living room floor, I thought it would be a good time to blog.
HAHA
I had an amazing visit with my mommy this past weekend (and brother too), and I even got to go on a date with the hubs! I was such a little girl, I even had my mom do my makeup. Ah how I miss those days!
It was really nice to have some alone time with hubby. We got to play pool (which he isn't very good at haha, and it was just so relaxing!!
I got to go shopping with my mommy, and I also made her a kingston cap before she got here.
She loved it.
I have been trying to think of my next project. I have many choices.  I just won a digital scrapbooking prize from mymemories.com worth $50!! I purchased the software to make a photo book!!! I am super excited because I have never been into scrapbooking because I know it is pricey LOL!!
If there is anyone out there with tips or tricks let me know!!
I guess I have done enough rambling for this blog.
Time to attempt to pick up the toys…for the fifth time today…. :)
Have a good day!!!!
~C

Time to Find a Balance!

So I have been slacking on the blogs for a while due to my hectic schedule.
I have finally got out of training at my job and have started a late afternoon/early evening shift. This is going to take some getting used to. Now I am the one getting up with the kids (which I love) but it will be hard getting time with the hubby.
When I get off work he is in bed, and when I wake up he is already gone to work.
Time with him is very important so I think it's time to evaluate how I balance things.
I am very thankful I get time with my kids, but is the shift I work worth the time away from the hubby?
This is going to be something I must think about long and hard.
Why is it so hard to get a job with the perfect fit? I like the work I do but this schedule may get the best of me. Is it me, or the Army that is throwing us loops in spending time together?
On another note, I am currently doing a "jeans challenge" with one of my best friends. I have decided that I must change the way I feel about myself, and that means it is time to lose weight. I am doing this the safe way by watching my numbers as far as carbs, fat, and protein go. Its been a rough couple of weeks but I think I am getting used to the way I need to eat to be healthy.
I went to Red Robin the other day to treat myself, and lets just say, my tummy is still hurting!!
So far I have lost 7.4 pounds, and I will definitely keep you all up to date on my progress!!
I guess that is all for now, hopefully it won't be too long before my next blog.
Until next time,
~C

It's Been Too Long!

I have been such a busy woman lately I have forgotten blogging!! (I also hit some writer's block as well).
So now I will attempt to catch everyone up!
I have been working full time and loving it so far! I take customer service calls for Verizon…sounds boring but it is very entertaining so far!
The paychecks are also a bonus.
I FINALLY got my college diploma in the mail the other day. Yes, I graduated in May but had to put my married name on it…
So it came in the mail a couple months later….
WITH MY MAIDEN NAME ON IT!
Gotta love online college ;)
Regardless of the name, it is still my expensive documentation that proves I went to college YAY!!
My husband is now a sponsored athlete!! I am so proud of him you really have no idea. If you haven't seen his youtube channel and series; The Pursuit, I strongly encourage it. He has been doing so well losing weight I cannot believe it. One of these days I will jump on his band wagon :)
That pretty much sums up my life nowadays. I have made some life decision changes that have turned out to be pretty awesome.  I was losing the priorities I needed to have to have a positive life, and have recently adjusted them so it has been a great couple of weeks.
OH I almost forgot to tell you all that my youngest is FINALLY off the bottle. That was a heck of a process. He was certainly addicted but no longer depends on it.
Now if only I can get my oldest to sleep in his room…. LOL.
I have so much more to say but I think I will save it for future blogs! I hope you all are having a great week!!!
Until next time,
~C

Last Minute Spokane Trip!

I had to make a last minute trip to Spokane to see my family this past few days and I had a TON of fun.  I didn't fit everything in that I wanted to, and there was way more construction that I did not anticipate, but other than that, I had a really good time.

This pic above was taken from my car as we went over the Columbia River….not my favorite part of the drive to say the least. (Yes, I have a little bridge fear!!) But it was a GORGEOUS day and the river just looked beautiful so I had to snap a pic!

One of the big highlights of my trip was all of the wonderful food I got to enjoy.  See, Tacoma has much to be desired when it comes to really good food.  I cannot find a good chinese restaurant over here for the life of me! 

I got to enjoy some yummy burgers and fries at Dick's Hamburgers (a Spokane staple).  For those of you who are not familiar with that joint, I must say it's dirt cheap food that is so delicious!!! 

I also enjoyed some fresh strawberries from Greenbluff. I wait for summer time to hit just for these strawberries because they are just THAT amazing.  

Now I just need some strawberry recipes LOL.

Best of all, I had my mom's cooking, and well, that just cannot be beat ;)

I hope you all have had a good last couple of days and are enjoying some nice weather! (It was high 80's in Spokane!!)

Until next time,

~C

Pet Peeves of Married Life...

Okay I know there will be people that assume I am going to be bashing men during this blog….well I may a little, but I will try to be nice.  :)

I know there are many married folk out there who will totally relate to my complaints!
Here we go.
If I had a dollar for every time I put the toilet seat down, I could probably fund a third world country school like Oprah.  SERIOUSLY! Men, if you are married, you KNOW you found that seat down when you entered the bathroom, so please for all humanity, just put it back.
In addition to this men in the bathroom complaint, how many times must I step in pee?? I know I live with three boys and two of which may not be able to aim as well, but come on husband, it's a GIANT bowl….how can you miss??
Can anyone relate to this???
Ok feeling a little better now.
:)
On a different note, I hope everyone had a good 4th! I haven't been blogging as much lately (probably because of the bathroom that needs constant cleaning LOL) due to my busy schedule.
Nothing really new on my end besides my little vent I had to release to my readers so I don't kill the husband!!
I am looking for any recipe websites that can give me healthy and quick dinners.  Having a family of four means there are usually multiple meals made at lunch time, but I would like dinner to be one good and healthy meal for everyone!  Any suggestions??
Speaking of my family, I am having bottle problems.  My TWO YEAR OLD….yes he's 2…is addicted to his bottle.  We have tried almost everything to get him off and it just does not work.  We will give him a sippy cup and the crying will not cease whatsoever for hours. I am starting to think he will go to college with a bottle in hand. We had a rough time with my oldest as well, but it seems like it was a little easier to get him off the bottles than it is for my youngest.  He acts like his bottle is his crack or something. LOL!!
Anyways.
Oh and I recently became addicted to two television shows.  Dexter and Weeds are two amazing shows that I think everyone should watch. Dexter is pretty easy on the eyes, and Weeds is just hilarious yet addicting all at once!  Now if only I had HBO to watch True Blood, I would be set!
I guess that is enough random ramblings for one blog! I have missed you all and I hope you will continue to follow me!
I promise the next blog will have zero man bashing :)
Until next time~
C

Happy Father's Day!

Today is a day where my hubby gets catered to.  I made him a breakfast of his request, I went to Starbucks for his venti coconut latte, and I will be making a salmon dinner for him.
Hopefully his father's day is what he was hoping for!
I don't know where my dad is, (don't worry this is a good thing for me LOL) but I want to give props to the moms out there that are playing both roles.
From single parents, to wives of deployed soldiers, THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!
Parenting is a hard job and being both the mom and dad is not an easy feat.
Thanks Mommy ;)

Enjoy your Father's Day everyone! Use this day to love all the important father figures in your life, no matter who that may be!! :)

Until next time friends~
C

Weekend Wrap-up

Overall I have had a very enjoyable weekend! I cleaned a little, and had some quality time with my family yesterday, and I went church shopping today.
I went to a Life Center church here in Tacoma!
I must admit I have heard mixed reviews about this church before, and this led me to be skeptical about it. But I decided, the Cains need a home church!!
The service was very contemporary, which was super awesome. The people there seemed great too.
But I was hoping for one thing. I wanted the sermon to speak to ME.
And……IT DID.
That is what I have been waiting for in a church. YAY!!
My boys loved the nursery, and I did too until Logan escaped….
Yup he managed to get OUTSIDE…. This about gave me the BIGGEST heart attack ever!!!
Hopefully next time the volunteers watch the kids a little closer??
After going to church I decided to make a few changes in my life.  I need to stop nit picking about everything negative, and instead "pick my battles".
What do I mean by that??
Well, instead of living a negative life full of complaints and venting about everything wrong in my life, I think it is best to really think about why I get negative and give the effort to just stop.  So many people dwell on who's doing what, or who said what, or what crappy events have happened to them during the day.
I cannot live like that anymore.  I need the positive people in my life to help me too.  I can no longer be the stereotypical Army wife who seems to judge and complain more than she gives thanks and appreciates the good we all have.
Yeah, yeah, that sounds cliche but honestly I NEED to do this for MYSELF.
I challenge you all to do it as well.  I know we can't all be positive overnight or never complain, but let's try to drive all the negativity out as much as I can!
Can you try??

Until next time friends!
~C

Starting a New Chapter!

Ok friends, yesterday I spent two whole hours clipping coupons and making a couple week menu for my family.  This will be the first step to hopefully saving some money!!!
Seriously, with three men and I eating, the grocery bill is NOT CHEAP!
I haven't quite figured out how these extreme couponers go to the store for free, but maybe someday I will be at that level LOL!!

Anyways, on another subject, my youngest son just turned two recently.  Let me tell you, the terrible twos is not and understatement with this child! It's been plain crazy at my house some days.  I think a lot of my time today will be googling how to better discipline my son LOL!!

My goals for this week are just to stick to my budget and not buy that venti Starbucks coffee that I love so much.  I hope to stay positive when it comes to my son's behavior, and to crochet something amazing!!!

A little nerdy I know, but everyone should make goals!! :)
What are some of yours? And any ideas on what I should crochet??

Until next time,
~C

Goodbye Oprah!!

I sit here watching the last Oprah and its kind of a let down.  All she is doing is talking!! I mean, I know she is a talk show host, but it's a whole lotta preaching and thanking…
Maybe I thought I was going to get a little more entertainment…
Anyway, on another note, it is another rainy day in Washington, so what do you do when it rains?
You go to Micheals.
Yes, I have turned into the nerdy old lady at age 26 who loves everything about Micheals.
I could craft all day every day.  :)
I am looking for more crochet ideas.  I am presently making things for preemies in local hospitals, but I wonder what else I could make.
Any ideas????
Until next time friends…
~C