One reason why I love homeschooling...

Just one of the many reasons I love homeschooling...

P.E., Art Appreciation, History, Bible and a bunch of other stuff covered in one half hour bike ride:

Look at the beauty of what our God made...

"The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament show His handiwork."  Psalm 19:1

Enjoying God's handiwork...the whole gang!

Secretly in my heart, I foolishly and pridefully thought how wonderful it was that being so pregnant (just over 9 weeks to go!) I could still ride my bike.  Well, after a flat tire incident on Caleb's bike, Ben was going to pull the boys with my bike and let me ride his bike.  Needless to say, my pride was defeated as I realized that no...I cannot ride a regular bike, but my "special" bike that lets me sit up more, with a big, cushy seat, is what allows me to ride with the belly.  But I am very thankful for my new bike, since I didn't have one.  Our friends have been so kind as to let us borrow a bike trailer until we can get one.

And this is Ben's new mountain bike, which he has been hoping for for quite a while.  We finally found a deal that was just right (65% off!!) and so he is enjoying his new bike as well.  

Company Picnic

Ben's work had a company picnic at a park here in Ojai.  We had a great time as a family, just hanging out and meeting some of the other employees.  We played some games (Emma and I did the three-legged race), ate some good food, and then the kids got to bat at a pinata.  Good fun.

Well, we didn't win...but we didn't FALL!!!  Yeah!

My Brother's Wedding

Evidently I have a lot of catching up to do!!  Here are a few pictures from my brother's wedding in San Diego.  We had such a great time, and then got to spend the next day at Sea World with the happy couple! 

Happy Couple-Mark and Nancy,    Ben and the kids

 My three brothers!

Surgery...

Noah's pediatrician had informed us that he might possibly need surgery (not a major surgery, but a surgery none-the-less).  Anyway, I had taken Noah to a urologist in Santa Barbara, but I was by myself, and I left feeling a lack of peace, and wishing that Ben had been with me to ask some more questions.  My mom suggested getting a second opinion, which I considered brilliant and wondered why I hadn't thought of it!!  Anyway, after searching and searching (there is not a pediatric urologist within 60 miles of here!), I found my way to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where they have a Minimally Invasive Urology Institute.  Then I found my way to the Pediatric Director of that Institute, who was a provider on our insurance!!!  I felt so much peace and comfort; I knew that God was providing and directing.  We made an appointment and saw him yesterday...Ben and I were both able to be there.  So, the bummer is that Noah does in fact need surgery.  But God's grace has sufficiently provided the comfort and peace that Ben and I needed to proceed confidently with his surgery.  Yeah!!  And, it is actually the Pediatric Director of this Urology Institute that will be performing the surgery, not to mention that they have 10 pediatric anesthesiologists on staff since this is what they do!!  All praise be to God, who has most certainly gone before us and worked out all these things on our behalf.  And, if you think of it, we would appreciate your prayers on September 16th...that's when Noah is having his surgery!

"Karma" in the Hester house

Okay, this actually happened a few months back, but I was telling my mom about it and she said that I had better blog about it...So, here goes.

Caleb is truly obsessed with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which brings me back to the days of being a kid, when my brother shared the same obsession.  Caleb hasn't seen any of the newer stuff, like TMNT or anything, but we did find some of the old cartoons which has only added to the obsession.  Anyway, in one of the cartoons, "Master Splinter" mentioned something about karma.  The minute I heard it, my stomach felt yucky as I began thinking about how I was going to talk to and explain that to a 4 and 5 year old.  

A few days later, the kids were playing Ninja Turtles, and I overhear Emma and Caleb:

Emma:  Come on Caleb, let's play "Car-math"

Caleb:  No, I don't really want to.

Emma:  Well, what about "Truck-math"?

Caleb:  Mom!!  Emma wants me to play "Car-math" and she wants me to add up all the cars.

"Mom, Look What I Can Do!"

I am constantly amazed at how fast kids learn.  The rate at which they change, grow and learn new things seems exponentially greater than my own.  The kids JUST learned how to ride their bikes. We have been loving our bike rides, going almost everyday.  Emma has been showing off her new tricks, like riding up and down driveways, riding through the field or on dirt, and the big deal...standing up and pedaling at the same time.  Caleb loves to ride off of curbs and go up and down driveways.  I keep telling them that practicing tricks is really something they should do with Daddy (since I can't really bear to watch!)  For tonight's ride, Ben had Caleb wear his shin guards, his elbow pads, and knee pads.  I know, a picture would have been great.  Sorry.  But anyway, he was flying down our street (which is a good hill) towards our driveway, and looked like he was going to hit the trash can (which he avoided) and then maybe Ben's car (which he also managed to avoid!)  But as he flew up the driveway and onto the sidewalk, he finally lost control of the bike and fell onto the sidewalk.  All of his pads saved him some good scrapes...and he stood up and said, "Well, that's ONE way to get up here!"  He makes me laugh.

A Little Competition...

Since Emma has been delighting in riding her bike without training wheels, Caleb decided that he must be able to do it also!  And so he is...we had been wanting to get Caleb a bigger bike for some time.  We found a bike on Craigslist, and went to check it out, but it wasn't right for him.  So, we went down to the thrift stores in Ventura, and found him a bike for $7!!  Yeah!  So, he is enjoying his new "big bike" without training wheels, and although he acquired many scrapes and bruises, he made the 2 mile ride from our house to Grandma and Grandpa's.  

Massage...

We had quite a busy day!  Emma and I did a 3 mile bike ride (I pulled Noah in the trailer) this morning.  Then, I took Emma, Caleb, and their cousin Ethan to the park to play.  After "quiet rest" time this afternoon, the kids went swimming.  It was a full-of-activity day.  So, this evening, Noah was playing with two of his cars and decided to run them up and down my back.  He thought this was hilarious, but I thought to myself, "Hey, that doesn't feel half bad!"  So, Caleb went and got some cars too and the two of them had a grand time driving them all over my back.  So hey, it wasn't exactly a spa day or anything, but those monster trucks certainly weren't too bad.  =)  And people wonder if I am sad that we're having another boy!  Are you kidding?  I might need some more of these massages...they're the only ones I get!

Interesting Article

I think everyone has probably felt the increase in the cost of groceries and gas lately.  This was an interesting article on msn about a woman who fed her family of four on almost $100 for the week.  It is always a juggle, trying to balance out the cost of food, the nutritional value of what you buy, and the time it takes to prepare things.  I have found that I can save myself money, and then I usually have to make up for it in time.  But, fortunately, that is a trade off that we can and many times have to make.  Christine was so kind as to share some of her organic produce with me, which I immediately put to work on some yummy veggie kabobs.  This week I have also made whole-wheat banana carrot bread, bran muffins (with flax, crushed pineapple, and carrot), homemade granola, and hopefully some whole wheat bread.  Of course, I was so tired and overwhelmed by all my dishes that I did actually lay down on my daughter's bedroom floor this morning for 10 minutes.  But that's a whole different story.

Anyway, I have also found that I save my money by supplementing my regular grocery items (from Trader Joe's) with items from 99 cents only, Big Lots, or Target.  One week I actually got my grocery bill down to $115 (for five of us, and one is preggo, mind you!!), but I did fill in with some items from the other stores.  Often times, 99 cents only or Big Lots will have organic or all natural products.  Anyway, I am posting a link to this interesting article...but I thought all of us bloggers could share our own money saving, healthy eating tips.  So, how are you coping with the rising cost of groceries, and how do you save money?? 

P.S.  If you want any of the the aforementioned recipes, just let me know.

P.S.S. In the midst of typing this post, I can't find the article on msn that I was reading, so I can't post a link to it.  But, we could probably come up with better ideas anyway. =)

To the Crazy Pregnant Lady Running on the Bike Path in Pantyhose...

Oh wait, that was me.  Let me back track, and explain, and then I will get on to the star of my story.  So, about a month ago, we got up from watching a movie to put the kids to bed, and I couldn't walk or bear any weight on my left leg.  They ended up doing an ultrasound on my leg and found that I have a blood clot.  This is not DVT (or, a blood clot in a deep vein, which would probably mean hospitalization).  Luckily, it is a more superficial vein, so I just have to be careful not to stand too long, sit too long, and I have to wear compression pantyhose.  But, given the alternatives, I think I got it pretty good.

Anyway, so Emma has been practicing riding her bike without training wheels in our backyard.  There's not much room, so she rides one way, then has to stop, turn her bike around, and ride the other way.  She has been counting down the days until Daddy got off work so that we could do a real ride on the bike bath.  So, not knowing how it would go, Daddy and Emma went ahead, and Caleb was on his bike with his training wheels (he has been working on it too!), and I was with him pushing Noah in the jogger.  Well, Emma just took off.  She did a little over 2 miles, with Daddy RUNNING as fast as he could to keep up.  Caleb is already pretty fast, so I ran with him for, let's say 1/4 mile or so, before I had to stop and ask him to slow down.  I know that walking is really good for my leg, but with the running, I could feel all the pressure in my vein and I thought maybe slowing down would be a good idea.

Ben and I decided that we are going to have to invest or borrow a bike trailer because we are really past the point of trying to keep up with children on bikes!!

But the point is, Emma did her first bike path ride without training wheels.  And I know it is cliche and people tell you this all the time, but man...it sure is going way too fast.  

Fun in a Box...

Okay, now this box of fun did not contain a thing one or a thing two (Dr. Seuss, people!)...and it did cost a bit of money, but has already paid for itself in smiles, laughter, and all around fun.

We had this spot of gravel in the back yard, which I didn't like because 1) gravel ended up all over the concrete, and 2) it was wasted space in our yard.  So, we got one of those 12 ft. round pools and it covers the area perfectly.  Not only is the gravel contained, but the space is no longer wasted.  Now that's cool.

Been Busy...

I haven't had time to post!  It's crazy, I know, but it seems like time just flies by sometimes.  The only reason I am blogging now is because it's 12:30am and I can't sleep.  So real quick, here's some pictures of some really fun things we've been doing recently:

Beach Day with Cousins:

Surfer Girl:

We had a cowboy dinner at our church...and leave it to my kids to bring the guns.  But, we all had a really great time:

Caleb, asleep while eating dinner:

The Three Big Kids:

The Boys:

Busy, Busy...

So, we just got back from four nights in Las Vegas, which I hope to share more about, including pictures.  We have some friends who live out there, and their little girl turned five.  It was a great time, getting to visit them, and the kids got to play.  We stayed at Excalibur, the hotel which looks like a castle.  Needless to say, the kids were enamored and they loved it.  We took them to the "Tournament of the Kings" dinner show and we ended up in the front row!!  One of the horses even kicked up some dirt into my soda.   

Anyway, I do hope to share some more about that soon...but for now, I just wanted to let everyone know that we are having a baby boy.  Emma took the news a bit rough, but she seems to have gotten over it, and we have consoled her by saying that she can be very helpful with Auntie Kelly's baby (which is a girl!)  So there you have it...more to come soon.  Oh yes, and they were VERY sure it is a boy.  He wouldn't show much of his face, but he made it very clear that he is indeed male.

Big News!!

Well, I am already pregnant, so it couldn't be that!!

One of my older brothers, Mark, came to visit this weekend from San Diego.  He brought his girlfriend, Nancy for the first time, so we were all anxious to meet her.  Then, at dinner at our house, he just springs it on me:  They're getting married!!  In August!!  

We are all so excited for them both, they are so happy, and he should have known better than to spring this big of news on me because I couldn't stop crying!!  I am just so happy for them and excited for them, and I am a big sucker for romance.  

August 8th, 2008...get it!  8-8-08!  Yeah!!

New Toy

Just to clarify, we really did need it because our computer was dying and continually giving off the "sense of impending doom."

The MacBook.  It's really fun.

A Happy Ending...and confessions from a perfectionist

Okay, so you would have to have been following this blog for at least a year to understand the following post.  So, the background is that last year, for Emma's birthday, we got a bookcase at a garage sale, and had intended to paint it (and allow her to help decorate it) as her birthday present.  Of course, with moving AGAIN, that project didn't even get started, and the bookcase has just been a thorn in Ben's desire to have his garage in order.  Well, here it is, a year later, and we have finally made some progress.  Ben must have been motivated by the desire to have the bookcase out of his garage...so he sanded it all down, and painted it pink for us.  Then, Emma and I painted on the letters for her name, and some flowers, and a palm tree.  Now, let me say that I could have done it by myself in just a few minutes.  But, it took us a good hour or so, but Emma was so thankful and so excited to actually be painting something.  And, I think the year of time that has passed since we intended to begin this was very helpful since I am sure her ability to stencil has come a long way in a year.  It was hard.  Really hard.  I had a damp paper towel, following closely because I couldn't just let there be any really noticeable mistakes on a bookcase!  But all in all, it was fun, and we hope to enjoy future projects soon.  We may not even be finished decorating the bookcase, but after that hour, it was enough for one night.  Here are some pics of the project now, which will hopefully be in Emma's room tomorrow.

Emma's Birthday

So, we didn't do a big birthday party for Emma's birthday...we didn't do anything really "big" as many would call "big." But I made her a birthday skirt and a special birthday cake...and at the end of the day, she told Ben and me, "I felt loved today." Which was what we had both been praying for anyway. When Ben asked her what made her feel so loved..."All the presents!!" Her big present from mom and dad: a hula hoop. Or as Caleb calls it, "A hulee hoop."

I did make her a birthday throne, by decorating a chair with streamers and balloons. Aah...it is great to be five. Here is her skirt and her cake. She got to pick the fabric for her skirt, which is a print with ballerina outfits and shoes on it.

Caleb's Haircut

It was time for Caleb to get a haircut. It's very manly. Just like Daddy's.

Out of the Habit...

Once it has been a while without blogging, it's easy to get out of the habit. It seems like there's been so much going on, I just haven't had the time to blog.

We went on a quick trip to visit the mountains last week, and to check on the little cabin we own up there. We hadn't seen the house since Noah was born (18 mos.) so we weren't sure what to expect. Anyway, our renters are doing such a good job taking care of the place, they had even done the tree trimming!

Our realtor let us stay in a cabin she has up there, which was wonderful, and they even had us over for dinner. We got to see some good friends, and catch up a little. We even got to visit the camp where Ben used to work.

This is the kids, looking at the ducks at Lake Arrowhead.

7 Random Things...(for Tonya)

Okay, I was tagged (sorry, by the way, that I lag...), so I am about to share 7 random things. I hope I can come up with 7 random things about myself...
1. I am an introvert. Most people who know me would argue this point, and yet, it is completely true. I can be in a crowd of people, I can force myself to go up to a stranger and introduce myself, and I can even work really hard at making others feel comfortable in any given situation. But at the end of it all, I am completely exhausted and just want to be quiet and calm with a cup of tea, or coffee.

2. I feel at peace when everything is in its place. When it is not, I feel chaotic and yucky. Even if it is just one couch pillow that has fallen on the floor, it ruins the whole room for me. Of course, it doesn't bother me at someone else's house, just my own. And, the pillows are never always on the couch, and the floor is often covered in a trail of toys even after they have been picked up. So, maybe I should just get over this one??

3. When my husband and I went on our first, first date...(December 2006, I was barely 16) we went to this Christmas play at the church his mom attended. I wore a long skirt with Jack Purcell tennis shoes (trust me, it was "in" at the time!), and met his whole family as we scooted past them into our seats. His dad referred to me as "the girl who wears sneakers with her skirts" for quite some time.

4. I really want to get the Bare Escentuals mineral foundation, but it costs $75. I thought about maybe trying one of the new mineral foundations that you can get at drug stores, or Target. Any suggestions? I don't usually wear makeup (like, foundation), because I don't like that "stuff" feeling. But I like the ideal of minerals, I guess.

5. My favorite smell is my husband, cleanly shaven and just out of the shower. Nothing smells better. But after that, it is the smell of clean laundry. Yummy.

6. I love American Idol because I think I have some secret fantasy of becoming a big singer. Unfortunately, I have the aspiration, but not the voice. I can sing okay, definitely can hold a tune, and I can sing in church and stuff. But it's not an I-could-have-my-own-CD type of voice. Although, my husband sometimes tells me that I could be the voice of a Disney princess?

7. All of my bookmarks got erased, so for a while, it will be very hard for me to find all of your blog posts. But I still love you!