Out of the Mouths of Babes

This morning, on our way to my grandpa's house, the boys started talking about how we should have brought all of our bikes to ride because his neighborhood has so many sidewalks. Kieran said that this would be great, except there was one big hill that would be hard to ride up. Kourtney responds to him as follows:

"We just need to buy a hooker to hook all the bikes up to the car so the car can pull them up the hill."

How do you not laugh?

Fortunately for me, neither of the boys got it.

Adams ~ Party of 5

Welcome to the new Adams Gang blog! This blog has been created to document our journey through life as we raise our three incredible kids, and try to maintain a shred of our sanity. We hope you enjoy the ride!

*Note: All posts from the previous blog have been imported into this blog, just in case you're fascinated enough to want to read through all 25 of them. I know it's a lot...just take it one at a time. LOL

Hiatus

As you've all noticed, I've been on a serious blogging hiatus for nearly the last two months. I have all the typical excuses: busy with work, kids, moving, etc. But, in all honesty, I've just had trouble getting motivated to write. It's terrible, I know. I'm working on it. Hopefully, I'll get back on the blogging bandwagon soon! :)

Splish Splash

In between trips to Fresno/Clovis, I convinced my amazing husband to buy a very cool waterslide for our energetic children who needed something interesting to do during the warmer Spring days. Below are some pictures of their fun:

Getting it out of the box

Reading the directions (shocking...I know!)

Kids being helpful

So excited I can barely get the picture!

Let the games begin!

Honestly, this waterslide is one of the best purchases we have ever made for our kids! It kept them entertained for hours, which is every parent's dream! I even went on it several time, and must say that it's a blast! Here's to many more hours of fun in the sun! :)

Weekend Fun

Two weekends in a row of too much fun just might be too much to bear (LOL!)!

Last weekend, we took the boys out of school on Friday so that we could come check out the Fresno/Clovis area. We spent the day driving around neighborhoods, being moderately successful at locating parks, schools, nice houses with green grass and big backyards, and then driving home. While it was fun, it was exhausting! I spent the rest of the weekend trying to convince Brady that we needed to do something fun for the kids (AKA buy a waterslide) because we had canceled their swimming lessons, gymnastics, and all other ventures for the summer since he was laid off. By Sunday, I had been successful (was there any doubt?), and we bought the kids an inflatable waterslide. More pictures to come on that later. Needless to say, that was one of the best purchases we have ever made! No joke! The kids played on it for over two hours, and cried when it was time to come in. It didn't matter to them that we only put 2-3 inches of water in it (we're in a drought, you know, and need to conserve water)...they had a blast! And yes, I let them skip their showers that night because they had to have gotten at least moderately clean while playing, right?

This weekend, we are back in Fresno/Clovis. Actually, we are technically in Selma at the moment...but it's all basically the same area. Brady starts work on Monday, and we're meeting my parents at the RV park tomorrow to get him all set up for the week. The kids and I thought it would be fun to "see him off" so we tagged along. We spent the day checking out more areas of interest, and low and behold, we found the park jackpot! It was fantastic!!! And, I have to admit, a lot more encouraging considering we are possibly moving here this summer. :O) We played, at ice cream, played in the hotel pool, checked out some model homes, and are now relaxing in the very comfy Holiday Inn in Selma. The beds are incredibly soft, by the way, and the service is excellent!

Tomorrow, we'll check out some more homes (now is the best time to buy, right?!), and then meet up with my parents around noon. The kids and I will head back to Roseville after lunch, and will spend the week working, going to school, and missing Daddy. Hopefully, the week will fly by...he'll be home on Friday.

That's what we've been up to...what about you?

It Won't Be Like This For Long

For all of us parents who get frustrated with our kids every now and then...

Woohoo!

It's official...Brady is accepting the job offer with Guardian Glass on Monday! He will be back to work the following Monday, April 27th!

We are so truly blessed, and are incredibly grateful that he will, once again, be employed. :O) He will be spending a lot of time away from home for the next two months, as the plant is about 200 miles from our Roseville home. We will look at moving down to the Clovis/Fresno area once the boys have finished up their school year in June. In the mean time, the kids and I will be mostly on our own. Fortunately, we've done this before and we know what to expect. Hopefully, I can maintain my sanity without my better half! LOL

Thank you all so very much for your many prayers! They have made a HUGE difference for us, and remind us daily how great our God is!!! He continues to do amazing things in our lives, and we continue to be soooooo grateful and humbled by His grace and mercy!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Thankful Thursday

In light of all of the difficulties that we have faced over the last year, I thought it would be a good idea to remind myself of all of the things I am thankful for:

*I am thankful for my amazing husband and all that he does for our family! He is such an incredibly hard worker, a loving and dedicated father, and a thoughtful and insightful husband. He completes me in a way I never imagined possible.

*I am thankful for my three beautiful children who never cease to teach me new things, enlighten me with their daily thoughts, and love me unconditionally.

*I am thankful that we have all had a whole entire month of being healthy!

*I am thankful for friends and family who have been there to support us in the tough times, and enjoy the good times with us as well.

*I am thankful that Brady has received a job offer so quickly in this unstable economy, even if it means we will need to move again.

*I am thankful that I get to enjoy teaching from my home, which allows me to be there for all of my kids' "moments."

*I am thankful that we can pay the bills when so many others can't.

*I am thankful for the beautiful weather today. It's nice to get the kids outside...although we would LOVE it if there would be just enough wind today to fly our kites.

*I am thankful for the love that fills my home each and everyday...even if there are moments when it's questionable.

*Most importantly, I am so incredibly thankful for a God who loves me, who sent His son to die for me, and who gives me the gift of His strength and grace each and everyday. There is no greater gift than that which Jesus Christ paid for me, and for you!

May you all have a blessed day!

How to Keep a Man Busy When He Doesn't Have a Day Job

Kourtney has found Daddy a new job, and she's volunteered herself to be his direct supervisor! Here is the photographic proof that she kept him busy all afternoon:

Who knew Daddy was so multi-talented!

Wordless Wednesday

Pictures Worth a Thousand Words...

...literally! After we came home from our weekly trip to the library today, the kids thought sprawled out on the kitchen floor (right next to the trash can, no less!) would be the perfect place to indulge in their newest books. Too cute not to share!

This teacher and mommy couldn't be prouder of her munchkins!

Three Years Old!

Yes, it's true...Kourtney turned three years old today! I am in complete shock! And, I've been near tears all day. I cannot believe my baby girl is no longer a baby, in any way shape, or form. She is incredibly independent, and reminds me constantly that since she's "free yer old" now, she can do everything by herself.

Here are a few pictures from her day today:

This is my beautiful not-so-little girl with her amazing smile. She was very excited to say "cheese" for the picture, and couldn't wait to share her sunshine with the rest of the world.

Some things about the last year that I never want to forget:

*You have developed a new love for PIZZA this year. It is your absolute favorite food, and you would eat it for every meal if we would let you.

*Potty training has been one of your biggest accomplishments. I would LOVE it if you would poop in your own potty (I promise, it serves the same function as the Wal-Mart potty!)!

*You used to hate having your hair done...Now, picking out the pretties to put in your hair is a daily pleasure.




*Your silly side has become a daily entertainment for all of us! You have an incredible sense of humor, which is very well-developed for a "free yer old." I love it when you make jokes, and then laugh at them!

*You have suddenly decided that your tongue belongs outside of your mouth instead of inside, despite Mommy's warnings that it's going to fall off one day if you keep sticking it out.

*You are one of the most impatient people I have ever known. You go from happy and playful to a fit-throwing monster in a matter of seconds. Your latest tantrums include thrashing, kicking, screaming, and all kinds of other fun things. It's hard not to laugh! The older you get, the more creative your fits get!

*You have developed quite the attitude this year. You don't take any bull from anyone, and will do and say whatever it takes to get your way.

I love you more and more each day. While I am enjoying the person that you are becoming, I'm devastated that it's happening so quickly.

Your mommy is so proud of you, Kourtney! You are an incredibly intelligent, fun, spunky, driven, loving little girl. I cannot believe how fast your are growing up...feel free to slow down just a little bit!

Sick...AGAIN!

Today marks nearly a month since everyone in my house has been well. Let me tell you how tired I am of my kitchen being taken over by medications, medicine droppers, and nebulizer parts. It seems to be never ending!!! Oh, and the complete and utter lack of sleep has got to go as well! Whatever these germs are that have kept us down and out for the last month may kindly take the next bus out of here!

Poor Kourtney has had croup twice, and has been dealing with her asthma constantly. She's on double the normal dose of steroids, and is doing breathing treatments several times a day. This is not including the two visits to the ER for asthma and coughing up blood (which, by the way, they determined came from broken capillaries due to coughing so hard...oh what fun!). The coughing has kept her from having a decent night of sleep in what seems like forever, which of course means that Mommy and Daddy haven't slept either. Oddly enough, she's still in a great mood a majority of the time. At least that's made this a little less painful.

Kieran has been down and out for the last two weeks. The first week, it was strep throat. He was out of school Monday thru Thursday, but went skipping back on Friday, only to catch the next bug. He missed the following Monday due to a fever, was fine on Tuesday and went to school, and then by Tuesday night was completely miserable with a 103ish temperature again. I was up with him all night long, snuggling him and attending to his every whimper, during which time he also developed the classic seal bark cough that says croup is on its way. Lovely. He ran a fever of 104 for four more days before it finally let up. Poor kid was so sick that he had to be carried from room to room because he didn't have the energy to walk.

Now, Cristian is complaining of a sore throat. Tomorrow, he goes for a throat culture. Fabulous.

I think I may as well just throw in the towel, and turn in my mommy card. I'm done now, thank you very much. I don't want to play anymore.

Here We Go Again...

We found out yesterday afternoon that Brady may be facing the loss of another job. The company that he works for has been facing major financial issues for several months now, as are so many other companies out there. Yesterday they announced that part of the company had been bought out...but, it looks like they are only taking a select few from this company with them. They are currently seeking a $300 million loan from the Department of Energy, but at this point, it doesn't look promising. One of the higher ups will be coming to Sacramento today to talk to two of the shifts. Hopefully, that will shed some light on what we can expect as far as how much time before layoffs occur.

I feel so bad for Brady. This would be his second layoff within a year. And, there are no jobs available for him to seek. It's definitely a very defeating feeling.

But, we still have our faith, and we are relying on God to help get us through (and the government's unemployment benefits, when the time comes!). There are so many others that are much worse off than we are, and we are praying for them, as well as for ourselves. I'm sure something good will come out of all of this...it's just going to take time. Please pray...not just for us, but for everyone out there that is going through this same thing.

Finally!

I finally figured out how to cut and export the movie clip of Cristian's gymnastics performance! Yeah me! :) Here it is, for your viewing pleasure...

Miscellaneous

Below are some miscellaneous pictures that I've taken over the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

Daddy "blow drying" the My Little Pony's hair.

Kourtney waiting with more ponies who need to be beautified.

Bubble fun!

Believe it or not, she actually can manage to blow some bubbles every now and then. LOL

Yes, he's ticked because he had to write sentences...again! I'm sure he'll hate me for this picture someday!

Brothers letting sister "help" with Legos...Now that's love!

Gymnastics...Finally!

I know, I know...it's only taken me nearly a month! But, seriously, I am soooooo busy with school and work, and trying to be a mom, that I haven't had time to get the video from the boys' gymnastics show posted. I'm putting off report cards and homework tonight so that I can get the video posted. I'm also watching a movie with the kids, which means I'm the queen of multi-tasking right now! LOL!

As of yet, I haven't figured out how to cut Cristian's video down to less than 100 MB, so I can't post his yet. But, I'm working on it, and will hopefully get that one up soon!



This one is Kieran doing his routine on the rings. It still amazes me that he can hold himself completely upside down without assistance!

Both boys had a blast at their show, and did great! I'm glad they love it so much!

Well, I have to get going...Homework and report cards are calling my name, and no matter how much I try to ignore them, they continue to get louder...and louder...and LOUDER! Guess I'd better get them done so that I can play with my blog a little bit more. I'll try not to leave three weeks in between posts again, although you all have to admit that I'm doing better this year than I've ever done! :) Yeah me!

So busy!

I have been wanting to get onto the blog and post for the last two weeks, but haven't yet figured out how to manage all of my time accordingly since I am now going back to school full-time. For those of you that haven't heard yet, I'm working on my pre-requisites for the BSN (BS in Nursing) degree. At the rate I'm going, I'll be done with my pre-reqs in December, and will hopefully be accepted into the BSN program at Sacramento State University that will start the following January. I'm really excited about being back in school, but there are definitely not enough hours in the day for me to accomplish all that I need to get done!

Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know that I honestly am trying to stay on top of this whole blogging thing. I have some amazing videos of the boys at their gymnastics performance from last Friday that I'd like to share (if I can figure out how!)...and of course, I simply enjoy writing about my kids! LOL But, for now, I'm supposed to be doing homework while I wait for Brady to get home, so I'd better get back at it. I'll be busted if he walks in the door and sees me updating the blog...It's a good thing his truck has a Flow Master and I can hear him coming from a mile away!

She's a Big Girl Now!

Well, it's official...my baby is no longer a baby. Kourtney started preschool today, which is both a great thing and a terrible thing. It's great because she loved it so much, but terrible because she's my last one...and she's growing up all too quickly!

Last week, the boys and I took Kourtney to Little Steps Christian Preschool to take a tour of her classroom, meet her teacher, and play with her new classmates, whom she quickly classified as her friends. She loved every minute of it, and couldn't wait to go back. Fortunately for her, she didn't have to wait long! :) We arrived at school at 8:45, after dropping the boys off at school. It took her all of ten seconds to warm up, and get into the routine. She was playing with toys, talking to the fish (one of the classroom pets), and kicking me out of the room. Apparently, I'm only good for drop-off and pick-up...She only let me stay long enough to take a couple of pictures and put her stuff in her cubby. Then, I was booted out the door...by my toddler!

While it was fantastic that she was so excited, I was just a bit bummed that she didn't shed a single tear, or even pretend that she wanted me to hang out with her for a few minutes. I'm grateful, though, that it went so well...Kieran cried for the first six months of preschool, which was torture, so I would much prefer it this way.

All in all, her day went fantastic! I called around 2:00 pm, and the teacher said that she had laid on her mat for nap time with the rest of the kids, falling right to sleep. When I got there to pick her up at 3:30 (after picking up the boys from school), she didn't want to go home! She loved it so much that it took us more than ten minutes to get out of the building! I'm thrilled that she had such a blast...And can I just say that I had the most productive day that I've had in seven months?! Woohoo for preschool!

Here are some pictures of Kourtney on her first morning of preschool...

In the kitchen...Just before walking out the door. She's soooo excited!

Exploring some of the new toys...

Excitedly showing off the fish...She can't wait to feed them!