Looking Forward To - November Edition

I really can't believe it's November.  I mean Christmas will be here in just a couple weeks and then we'll be starting a new year.  Time flies!  Here are some fun things (in no particular order) I'm looking forward to this month...

• Kevin turns 29!
• Thanksgiving!  I love the family time and food.
• Decorating for Christmas.  I usually put my Christmas tree up the first week of November, but I think I'll shoot for the second week this year!  Too many little hands like to take apart decorations...
• I'm hoping to get some sewing done this month.  Krissy needs a car seat blanket and it's on the top of my sewing list.  
• We'll have our routine even more figured out.  I feel like things have really started to settle down and my days are becoming more predictable, which I appreciate!
• I'm so excited for the election - and to watch the results come in.  I'm hoping to have nails left by the end of the night.
• I'm hoping to start blogging more regularly.  It's my biggest goal of the month! 

Looking Forward To - September Edition

It's been awhile since I've done one of these!  Here are some of the things I'm looking forward to in the month of September!

• Daughters of the King kicks off the fall semester!  I'm taking the Focus on the Family class again and I'm hoping I can go even after I have the baby.  
• We are planning to go to Holiday World early in the month for Kevin's annual work party.  We haven't been all season and I think the kids will really enjoy it!
• The Christmas Lake annual yard sale is just a couple weeks away!  We are planning on shopping till we drop - or run out of money :)  Kevin is just as excited about this sale as I am!
• I think we'll be spending the night at Christmas Lake at least one time!
• We keep talking about having a cook out - hot dogs & s'mores... and that sounds absolutely fantastic to me - especially the s'mores!  Hoping to have one asap!  (I've been doing "oven s'mores" and they just aren't the same!)
• Oh yea, I'm having a baby this month!  I'm SO excited to find out if it's a boy or girl and to see how Hayden & Allie react and adjust to a new little sibling.  
• In line with having the baby, I'm really looking forward to labor/delivery/and the hospital stay.  I've had such great experiences the first two times and I know this won't be any different.  
• I'm looking forward to packing up these maternity clothes!  I know it won't happen over night, maybe not even in the month of September, especially if I don't have the baby until the end of the month, but the end of maternity clothes is near - and I want to wear all the cute things I've found thrifting!
• I'm looking forward to figuring out our new routine.  I'm also excited about Kevin having a couple weeks off work to help out when #3 decides to arrive! 

Looking Forward To - May Edition

This month will probably be the busiest month I've had in a loooong time... I was feeling the stress late last week and wound up having to go to the Triage because I thought I had some contractions to go along with stomach and back pain topped off with nausea.  Me and baby are fine.  We had a lovely restful weekend and I was able to write out about 20 lists and get all this information out of my head.  That alone seemed to take a lot of stress off my shoulders.  Here's a list of the things I'm anxiously looking forward to this month (in no particular order)!

• My little boy turns FOUR years old!  
• We have a doctors appointment and ultrasound  - although we aren't finding out the gender, I cant wait to see this baby's little face and hear his/her heart beat again :)
• Florida -the beach- for 7 days - need I say more?!
• TJ will become a 100% outside dog.  I've taken some heat from this from my friends, but my mom reminded me this idea of an "inside dog" is a thing that started 20 some years ago and dogs have lived outside for hundreds and hundreds of years.  He will be fine, and most importantly I'll gain some sanity back!
• I'll get to see one of my bestest friends, Whitney Knight!  I always love when she comes in town, and so do my kids!
• My sister, my mom, and myself are hosting a baby shower for my sister in law. 
• My parents are going to celebrate their 36th anniversary.
• I'm getting a pedicure before our vacation with my momma. I only have 2-3 of these a year so this is quite a treat!
• I get to celebrate Mother's Day with 2 of the greatest kids in the world.  
• I get to do a little baking this month (for Hayden's birthday and for the shower).  I'm keeping things simple (which is hard for me), but I'm still looking forward to it!
• My BFF Amy and I are going to go see "What to Expect When You're Expecting".  I'm hoping to make a full evening out of it if she can break away from her boys that long!   
• Mother's Morning Out officially comes to an end for the semester.  I won't be returning next year so I'll look forward to having all my days off again :)

Happy May to you all!
 

Looking Forward To - April

Spring is my favorite season!  That alone makes April an awesome month!  Here are some things I'm looking forward to this month :)

1. Kevin and I will celebrate our 5 year Anniversary!  (April 7th)  We don't have anything planned yet, but I'm hoping to have a nice (kid-less) dinner and maybe even dress up!
2. Easter!  It's such a fun holiday!  We're going to color eggs and do an egg hunt (I still wish I got to hunt eggs!  I loved it!)
3. This month we are easing our way into an all natural/whole foods diet.  I told Kevin that requires him giving up Pepsi... so we'll see how he does!  I haven't been eating many sweets lately so I'm hoping to not have lots of struggles with it.  
4. My Dad's birthday is this month... next year he'll turn the big 6-0!
5. I'm getting my hair cut this week.  It's needed it for a month, maybe two, so I'm really looking forward to that!  (Plus I'm doing some Easter basket shopping solo after my appointment and that will be lots of fun!)
6. I'm hoping to purchase a blender and/or juicer this month.  As long as we don't have any surprises expenses (like new pipes under the house, a whole new gas line and fuel pump for Kevin's jeep, or a new fridge) than we should be ok! :)
7. I'm hoping to do some more fishing before it gets too hot!
8. Yard Sales have begun!  I haven't started shopping, but I will this month!

Looking Forward To...

If February was any predictor of March's weather, I'm SO ready for March!  Some things I'm looking forward to this month are:

1. My Easter flowers blooming!  I saw a couple yellow blooms today and I can't wait for them all to bloom!  My sidewalk is lined :)
2. Daylight-Savings time beginning!  (March 11!)
3. Starting our family walks by the river in the evenings.  Allie goes crazy over the puppy dogs we see down there.
4. I have my 12 week appointment on the 12th!  We'll get to hear that heartbeat again and start making some guesses on the sex!  (Even though I feel like I already know what sex Baby is....)
5. I will start my 2nd Trimester ---- hoping my afternoon naps will be less frequent and I can get this house back in order!  (Please don't stop by without my knowledge or you may get lost is the clutter!)
6. St. Patrick's Day!  I use to over look the holiday, but last year I dressed the kids in green, we made rainbow cupcakes, and we really enjoyed the day! 
7. Going to go see The Vow... I convinced Kevin we needed to see it. C'mon date night!
8. We are going to be doing some serious yard clean up the next several weeks (maybe months).  I'm really looking forward to having a backyard I can enjoy where the kids can run wild (and I don't have to worry about them falling in any holes, stepping on any rocks or nails or old fence posts).
9. Kevin grilling out for us!  He bought a new grill last year and he LOVES using it, so I'm going to take advantage of that several days during the week.

Looking Forward To...

I do a mid-month update @ the 15th of the month... but I'm thinking about doing a "Looking Forward To" post at the beginning of each month.  February is the best month for me to start this because I'm looking forward to a LOT this month! :)

1. Valentines Day!  This is the biggy for the month.  I LOVE this holiday!  I love the decorations, I love the food, I love the crafts, I love the colors, and the romance.  
2. I will find out in the middle of the month if I will be having a new niece or nephew!  Either will be exiting :)
3. My in-laws will celebrate their 40th Anniversary and we're going out for a nice dinner to celebrate!
4. We get our taxes done!!! Getting money is always fun!
5. We are taking a mini vacation to Big Cedar Lodge in the Ozarks.  I think it will be a great trial run to see how the kids do on a longer car ride and to see how the sleeping arrangements will work out.  Our Florida trip will be here soon!
6. Allie turns 18 months and will have a well baby check up.  Minus the shots, I always enjoy those!
7. My "Uncle Keith" has a birthday this month, actually February 3rd, but we're celebrating with him on the 2nd.  I always enjoy getting to spend time with the Millers.  
8. This is Kevin's LAST month on 12 hour shifts!  At the end of the month he will go to 8 hour shifts, 5 days a week.  We may almost feel like we have a normal life!