Reusing Tissue Paper

Pin It After my Grandma came to visit I got to work on my tissue paper pile. She is the one who taught me how to salvage tissue paper so it is always on my mind after she stops in.

It is very simple. IRON. I put all of my tissue paper that I get from baby gifts with my ironing pile and after I'm done with my ironing I unplug the iron and spread my tissue paper out on my ironing board and smooth it out with the iron. It looks like new afterwards. Then I fold it up and store it away with all of my gift bags to be re-gifted at a later date.

I have not bought tissue paper since I got married. Four kids in four years = a lot of tissue paper.

A couple tips:

• If you have water in your iron...dump it out. Water and tissue paper do not mix.
• If you just want to do the tissue paper, put it on the lowest heat setting your iron has.
• If the paper is ripped to begin with, throw it out. No amount of ironing will make that piece look like new.

Great-Nana

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My Grandma came to visit me yesterday. She is 85 and she drove 2 hours just to come see our newest addition. You would think after 20 great-grandchildren from my parents family alone some of the excitement would wear off. But... no, I guess it doesn't.

To my kids she is Great Nana and she did not disappoint. She came through the door with a treat (when we were kids we would always run out to her car because we new she would have a treat for us).

That is all I accomplished yesterday. A visit with grandma. There is something exceptionally special about sitting with the lady who sat with your mom when you were born. Hannah got the same cuddles and back scratches that I got when I came home from the hospital. Thanks Gram for stopping in!

The pictures started out with Great Nana and Hannah

Then Abigail needed to slide into the picture. She is too much... look at that smile

And then cousin Alisha slid in next. It was a couch full of fun!

My Love/Hate Relationship With Not Being Able To Do It All

Pin It By the end of each day I fall into bed thinking I can't do this. I can't even take care of my own kids for a whole day. I can't keep my eye on all of them, I can't keep the peace and a consistent amount of discipline.

This house is in survival mode most days. 

As I was washing the floor today (a reviling in the sheer miracle it was that I was accomplishing this task) I started to think about how good it was for me to not be able handle four kids with out a lot of help and prayer.

If I didn't have four kids, four years and under, I wouldn't really need my mom's help, but I REALLY NEED MY MOMS HELP. I can appreciate her with such gratitude that her week here will be forever imprinted on my mind.

If we didn't have four little ones, I wouldn't need my husband to step in like he has. Before Hannah I could do the kids by myself. If he wanted to take one or two with him for a ride or to work on something it was a nice break, but now he must have a child connected to him at all times. If he is working outside, they are working outside. If he is going to town, a child is going to town with him. He puts them to bed, brushes teeth, changes diapers, and disciplines when he walks through that door. I could do all those things before, but now that I can't I am loving the extra help.

If I didn't have four LITTLE kids, it wouldn't be that big of a deal if they were unruly and wild, but four unruly, wild kids is not going to happen in this house. The large family mentality is a beautiful thing. Where I might let things slide for one or two kids, I won't with four. It is a built in accountability child training. I take one or two children with me everywhere I go now too. To the doctor's, grocery store, and a million other errands. A few mom and son visits to the chiropractor is great practice for sitting quietly and playing. The store rules are easy to instill in one child at a time so when I do need to take them all they should have their correct store behavior down pat.

So... I hate that life is changing and the things I used to be able to simply do (wash the floor) I can't do anymore, but I love that it is forcing me to be creative (now Abigail sits on the couch for 20 minutes instead of doing it while she is sleeping) and be a better mom. Sometimes I am sad that I might never go to Wal-Mart alone again, but I am thankful I am not missing an opportunity to teach. I used to hate sitting around on a perfectly useful Saturday, but now I am blessed to watch four healthy kids play with their dad.

As our family grows it is amazing to see how God softens my personality and forms me into the women I need to be to reflect Christ to this home.

Rodeo (radio)

Pin It Two of my over-achieving sisters put on a rodeo every summer. 6 weeks in the summer... and my hubby and I do the concessions. Rodeo concessions are a very interesting phenomenon and deserve a post of their own (I am convinced it is something similar to the carnival lifestyle).

My boys are in love with the rodeos and Jackson can't seem to remember it is called a rodeo, he calls it the Radio. Spencer knows what he is talking about and they never miss a beat when Spencer is preparing for the Rodeo and Jack the Radio. My mom so lovingly took my boys to each show, helped them ride in their events and then sprayed off their layers of dirt around 10 p.m.

The horses are only one part of the fun, the other pull for the rodeo is that it is full of cousins and friends and it is a PARTY. There are treats, dirt, prizes, tractors, animals, four wheelers, late nights, and lots of wild little boys (and a few wild little girls in the making).

Thanks to my sister Laura for grabbing a couple shots for me while I slaved away behind the taco meat.

 Abigail was allowed one rodeo, but otherwise just the boys were enough for Nana to keep an eye on.

One of the favorite "best cousins" John Paul

My dirty, oldest child (with his shirt on backwards)

Another pull to the rodeos and Jack's "best cousin" David Roscoe

Uncle Chris leading Jack through the barrels

A very happy contestant

Spencer taking his turn with Uncle David

Just a few of the hooligans who run around the arena

I Don't Want To Forget...

Pin It There are a number of things about having a baby that I hope to forget and as women we all are very aware of those things. The after-belly (our kids asking if the baby is still in there), cramping, back going out (is this just a special treat for me?), leaking, no-sleep and cereal for every meal. However, that is a small price to pay for the beautiful fake-sleep smile of a newborn, their yummy smell, swaddled teeny-tiny body, and siblings who fight over whose turn it is to hold her.

Why do majority of women in our society choose to talk about the negatives of birth and new babies? You become some sort of hero if you have more then two kids, like your body has completed some miraculous feet. Believe me, I know it is hard on you. Four kids in four years has not left my body in the Olympian condition I strive to appear in. The truth is, and this should be told, the positives far outweigh the negatives. If women don't want to have more children, that is fine, but lets forget how fabulous a newborn is.

Lets not forget to talk about that with each child we receive new blessings. If we only ever talk about the negatives of birth, that is all we will remember when we think about our babies. Instead of saying "oh, no, I never want to do that again" I want to say "that was such a special time for our family, I never want to forget it".

Here are our positives of this little blessing:
- My husband calling me every day from work when we get close to delivery wondering if there is anything going on in the labor department (he is strictly business on any other day)
- Heading to the hospital knowing you will be having a new little one in a matter of hours
- Talking to your kids about a new sibling
- My mom combing my hair in the hospital bed
- The look in my husbands eyes when he sees our child for the first time
- Visitors
- Babies first bath, feeding, snuggle
- Introducing a new baby to their brothers and sister and seeing them love her without even having to think about it (Spencer willingly admitted, on his own, that he loved Hannah more then his Nutragrain bar... it is too much cuteness for a mom)
- Looking over from the couch and seeing a newborn in a bassinet
- Waking up in the morning to a little bundle next to you
- Taking is slow for a few weeks, staying at home, and enjoying the auto-pilot it requires to adjust to a new baby
- Basking in the one load of laundry you did that made you feel you achieved something for the day
- Seeing your heart as a mom change as you have to give more and expect less and you realize this new little one is gently forcing you to be more like Christ (or be the crabbiest person alive... you choose)

That last one is the big thing for me. Marriage first, then every child after, has drawn me closer to Christ. I realize I can't do it alone, it is too much for me to handle. I get into my word and find what God's Truth has to say about a situation. The Truth is... God never gives me more then I can handle, the JOY of the Lord is my strength, GIVE THANKS in all things, remember the cross, pray, pray, pray. 

Hannah Lynn

Pin It God has blesses us with another beautiful, healthy little one. She was born on 7/11/12 at 2:30 and weighed 6lb 11 oz, and was 20' long. Hannah Lynn Bartlett. 

These pictures say it all:

Bright eyed right away... such a blessing

Cuddling with mom

What a beauty. We can't get enough

The whole family was there. Thank you Nana and Papa Bartlett for watching the troops.

Proud Big Brother #1

Proud Big Brother #2

Nana Bartlett looks pretty good after having three little kids for 2 days

Papa came too!

Aunt Julia and Uncle David stopped in to say hi

Dad snuggling. He loves his new babies and how they cuddle up.

Aunt Laura and Aunt Alisa came by too. And lets not forget Nana and Papa Horses who woke up at 1:00 a.m. when we were headed up to the hospital and almost beat us there. They trudged on threw the night and the afternoon waiting for that baby with us. Mom combed my hair, rubbed my feet, brought me chap stick, snacks, gave advice, ran for food and drinks, and stuck it out with us. We could not be more thankful for our families. I don't know how we could have done this without there help, love and support.

 We are very blessed!

Green Beans and a Day Overdue

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I found green beans in our garden today. 

For some reason the first veggies are always a little bit like Christmas morning to me. I wandered the rows this morning and my heart was bursting with love for my hubby. He has planted, watered, hoed, weeded, and cared for our garden this year and he has never done that before. It has always been my baby, but since I am trying to have another baby this summer he vowed to make the garden happen on his own.

It looks better then any garden I have ever tended... that is just the way he rolls. Perfectionist. It does my heart so much good.

I thought I would post a picture of these little beauties instead of myself and 40 weeks pregnant. The beans are definitely better looking today.


Julia came and got my kids this morning. She didn't call. She swooped in grabbed the kids and loaded them up before I could fight with her about it. Now... I have no option but to clean my whole house and hope it puts me into labor.

Hopefully the next post will include pictures of our new little one...

VanderWeide Family Reunion

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A quick update between family get-togethers... we hung out with the VanderWeide side all last weekend and now we have moved in with the Bartletts for this week. It was such a joy to see so many cousins, aunts, uncles... and many people I didn't even know I was related too. 

It was amazing how many people showed up, how beautiful the weather was, and how much stuff there was to do. My kids were in a constant state of bliss. The went to bed at 11:00 every night, got filthy dirty, rode on the kiddy train, swam, sang at the bonfire, fished, slept in a camper and jumped in the jumping castle (bouncere and David Roscoe called it), and got to do it all at their Nana and Papa's house.

As I look back at the weekend I feel so much gratitude for my parents. They hosted over 200 people and were the most gracious and giving people every minute of it. They have never stopped modeling the value of family and the importance of getting together. They have a gift of hospitality that goes way beyond anything I ever hope to be able to do. 

Here are a few highlights from the weekend. These pictures can't even begin to capture the fun that we had.

 Gathering around the bonfire to sing and make smores

Aunt Laura with two dirty little girls

Suckers at 11:00 p.m.? Yes, please Uncle Chris.

Walking to breakfast. Dad has the camera bag because he was in charge of videography 

Matching shirts for everyone and me 9 month pregnant. Sadly, all the walking couldn't put me into labor.

Life in the camper... no pants for sissy, toys everywhere, lots of treats... PARTY TIME!