Busy Saturday

The Barnes went out the morning for some yard sale runs. We went to Sophia's birthday party. We came back home for lunch and a nap then Daryl took out the two big boys for bowling and geocaching. They had a good time and were out for a good while. I took Andrew out for a while to Walmart and to the Parent Teacher store. While I was gone Rachel cleaned up the kitchen which was super nice. I took dinner over to some friends that just had a baby and the Barnes went to the park for a picnic playdate with the Kohrs. We are just hanging out now watching some TV relaxing from the day.

Hiking Gone Wrong

So the dads decided to take ALL the boys out tonight for a hike. We should have had second thoughts about that when one fell on the way down the driveway before they got started. About 20 minutes later they called us to come get the little boys. We were on our way and then Jacob started getting in trouble so he was sent back as well. About a minute later the rest of the gang ended up coming back as well. It wasn't the most successful of trips.

Daryl is Home!

After being gone for almost a week, Daryl is finally home. Yay! So happy to have him back. Hez and Rachel let us get out after the boys were asleep. Thankfully we got home just in time for Jacob to wake up after peeing the bed.

Yard Sales and a Haircut!

I got to go out today and get my haircut. So nice that I could do it during the day and Rachel watched the boys for me. I ran out in the morning to check out a few yard sales. Got some stuff but there were not very many.

Date Night at Home

Tonight Daryl was gone so Hez and Rachel stayed home instead of going out for date night. We instead watched some recorded shows and Rachel made some yummy spinach and artichoke dip. It was a nice evening.

Free Time for a Trampoline

One of Rachel's friends has a neighbor that might be giving away a trampoline. That was a very confusing sentence. Anyway, I ran over there with the two little ones and checked it out. It was really nice one and would be awesome to have but I don't know if they are going to get rid of it or not.

Rachel took out the three middle ones and did a few errands including getting a milkshake. :)

Increased Motivation

I don't know why but while the Barnes have been living here my motivation to do housework and such has been higher than normal. I don't know fully if that for a good or bad reason. I don't know if it is because I see a need and just do it, if I want to serve the others, or if I just want to look good and get praise. Truthfully it is probably a lot the last one. That is a pretty sad reason but hopefully part of that motivation will continue when they leave.

One Week!

One week from today the Barnes close on their house. Wow! It has snuck up on me. I have mixed feelings about it. I mean on the one hand it will be nice for us to be just our family again. The noise level will be less and I think we will be able to relax a little more.

But, I really have enjoyed the companionship of Rachel. It is really nice to have another adult around to talk to during the day and to help out with chores. And when all the kids are in bed it is nice to just hang out and visit. Kind of a throw back to college days!

I think it will be interesting to see how our relationship will be. I wonder if we will see/hang out with each other more or less than before we lived with each other. There were some people saying not to live together because it could hurt our friendship but I don't see that being the case. At least I hope not! I have definitely gotten to know them better over the past month and a half. It has been really interesting and I feel like I have learned a lot from them as well as about myself.

Words

I really enjoy random words of affirmation and love. This morning Rachel sent me an e-card and it was very sweet.

I'm so grateful for this season in our lives. I'm not sure that many would see this time as an opportunity, but rather an inconvenience. I am learning to be a better wife, mother & friend. You are inspiring and my heart is changing because of you. Thank You for this opportunity and I pray we have many, many more <3

Warmed my heart and made my morning!

Happy 8th Anniversary!

Today is Hez and Rachel's 8th Anniversary. I tried to be extra nice to Rachel today. She got to sleep in, I made her breakfast, brought her lunch and then I went out so they had some alone time in the evening. This was my date night so I went to eat at Jimmy John's and to Goodwill. They had their favorite pizza from Old Chicago.

This morning I took the three boys to the dentist. They ended up doing really well and there were no cavities! Yay!

House Update

So Hez and Rachel got all the details worked out for their new house. The sellers are going to meet all their demands so that is awesome. Their appraisal came back really good too. So, they are good to go. I think their closing is going to be around May 26th but they may stay here some after that to do a little work to the house before they move in.

Sunday

Daryl headed out this morning to go to TechEd in Atlanta for a week. The rest of us went to church. I had to serve this morning in the 4 year old room. After church we went over to my mom's house for lunch. The Barnes went to Zappos again. I got some rest before LifeGroup. When we got back we ate leftover dinner together. We put the boys to bed and then Rachel and I went to see the movie Bridesmaids. It was really funny. Had some crude parts but I was laughing so hard during most of it. Had a good time.

Quiet Day

Daryl had to work this morning and so the Barnes and I went out to yard sales separately. We both found some good stuff (toys, baby backpack carrier, clothes, etc.). Then the Barnes went out Zappos for some shoes so we had a quiet afternoon with just my boys here. It is funny how having just 3 boys now seems like a break. :)

This evening we let Hez and Rachel go out to celebrate their anniversary that is actually next Tuesday but Daryl is going out of town so tonight worked best. They went to Chuy's and then PF Changs for some takeout dessert. They even brought us back one! Score! When they got back we all watched the movie Salt.

Girl's Night Out!

We had a fun Girl's Night Out tonight. We ate at PF Chang's and then went bowling. Half of the bowling was Cosmic so that was fun. It was fun to laugh at each other and just act goofy. The only problem I had is that it ended too early. I think we were home by 10. We then played a game of Hunter/Barnes Dicecapades. A funny part of the evening was Rachel testing out the reverse camera on the rental Yukon.

Zoo a No Go

Rachel and I thought it would be fun to take the kids to the zoo today. Well, everyone else in Louisville thought so too. We got there and they were already parking people on the grass and they said there were 3000 school kids. We decided to skip that and went to a pet store instead. They had some cute little puppies that the boys liked petting. The other animals were a hit as well (fish, baby turtles, snakes, parrot, mice, etc.) After there we went to Joe Creason park and played at the playground and had a picnic. I think it worked out really well and the kids had fun.

Thursday recap

Today was Jacob's last day of school. Honestly I will miss the break. He had an end of year party with games. Andrew was acting funny about it and didn't want to do anything and just acted shy.

Tonight Hez and Rachel went out for date night. They went to California Pizza Kitchen and then Barnes & Noble. I think they had a good time away.

Andrew is driving me nuts!

So the biggest problem child in the house is Andrew for sure. Seems like I am telling him NO or putting him in time out every other minute. Most of his offenses are: hitting, pulling on shirts, trying to grab Judah, chasing people, emptying the wipes case, trying to climb on the stools, eating other people's food, stealing toys, crushing towers, etc. I have started to put him in time out immediately when he hits. It seems like he is doing that a little less now but it is still an issue. He wears me out and I feel like he needs constant supervision. Maybe it is because there are more kids in the house for him to annoy. He also feels like he is the boss of them. He tells Uriah no and tries to move him when he is in front of the TV. He wants to be big so bad and do everything the big kids do. I feel bad for Rachel since he is constantly annoying her kids. Ugh!

Discussions

I brought something up to Rachel today that was starting to frustrate Daryl and I. I didn't want it to turn into anything that started to eat at us so I wanted it out in the air. I really do not like confrontation. I guess I always worry that the issue is not worth bringing up... that the result of discussing it would make the other person feel upset or annoyed that it was an issue to us. Hopefully it will not cause any problems like that and we can move on.

I feel like it has been pretty easy to get along and work out who does what with them here. I think it helps that they are pretty laid back about things. We couldn't live with them for a month and a half if they weren't that way! There are some people in the world we could let live with us and there are lots of people we couldn't deal with. That is for sure!

More Home Stuff

Today is the day that Hez and Rachel turned in their list of demands for the sellers to fix and address from the inspection report. It is a little bit of a large list so they are a little nervous but I hope they can all come to a middle point of compromise. The seller has 3 days to respond.

Random Vomiting

So Nathan tonight randomly threw up. He had been complaining of an upset stomach but then played Wii and was bouncing around like normal. Then he laid down on the couch as he and I stayed home from LifeGroup. He threw up all over the couch. Yuck! He has been fine since though.

Happy Mother's Day!

We woke up and Hez made French toast for the crew. That was nice! The kids gave us the cards they made. We went to church and the Barnes went up to Indiana to visit Rachel's mom and family. I got in a great nap. We were on our way to LifeGroup and Nathan threw up. Woo... back to work for me.

Yesterday Rachel got a Mother's Day massage. Sounds like she really enjoyed it.

Shopping!

So in order to make up for some of the clothes that were given away from my wardrobe a few days ago, Rachel and I went to Old Navy today to get some replacements. It is nice to have a fashion advisor! I got a lot of cute things. It was fun but also kind of awkward.

Guys Day Out

The dads just took out the 5 big boys and went to Home Depot to build a flower pot thing for Mother's Day and for a hike at the park. It is so quiet in the house with just the two little ones. It is hard to remember what it was like when I just had one kid!

Inspections Passed

Yesterday were the inspections at the Barnes new house. Overall everything went pretty well. Hez was happy with the inspector and felt he was really thorough. There were a few issues that came up but for the most part they are happy... no deal breakers at least. They still need to work out the details about getting a few things fixed but hopefully that will be the easy part.

Repeated Phrases

So we decided we should have a recording playing at all times in the house. It would include the following:

• Andrew, don't hit!
• Uriah, sit down!
• Nathan, stop repeating!
• Hunter boys, quiet and go to bed!

Reason #4

Reason #4 it is awesome that the B family is living with us: When I am not feeling well Rachel is here to help me out by making the kids' lunches and letting me take a nap!

Oranges from Hell instead

So Hez's theory on why he and I got a yucky belly is from eating tainted oranges. He and I were the only ones to eat them and we both ate them a day or so before we got sick. Not for sure but we threw them away to be safe!

Case of the Blahs

So I think the adults are dropping like flies. Hez is still not quite right with his stomach, my stomach is all messed up since mid morning yesterday and now Rachel is not feeling well and is at the urgent care place. Blah. Thankfully this is Thursday so 3 of the kids are at school. Hope they get to feeling better so they can have date night tonight.

Today's Recap

Today I took the twins and Andrew to the Pegasus Parade preview. I think they had fun. There were floats, balloon characters, horses, and you went around to different tables to get stamps and then at the end you got a prize.

Tonight was date night. We went to Goose Creek Diner. While we were out Rachel clean up the house like a mad woman. That was nice. I could get spoiled to that!

Hez stayed home again today but seems to be feeling a lot better tonight. Daryl is out working right now.

Hez on the mend

Hez went to the doctor last night and got some meds. He is doing a lot better now thankfully and has been playing with his birthday present, Bucky Balls, and Rachel has been crushing his creations.

Making up for lost rest

Two oldest boys are off to school and Hez and Rachel are getting caught up on some much needed and missed sleep. I know Hez was up all night with his stomach issues. Not sure how he is doing this morning but hopefully he is feeling better. Don't really have anything on the agenda today so that is good.

Taco Bell From Hell?

So today for lunch the Barnes had Taco Bell. Apparently their colons do not like it at all! Hez has been in agony for the last 6 hours or so going to the bathroom every minute. I feel bad for him. Then Judah has been waking up every few minutes and so has Uriah. It has been a bad start to the evening. I hope that they all get over it quickly because it is getting late and could make for a long evening.

Party!

Yesterday we had a birthday party for Andrew and Nathan. We were going to have it at Hounz Lane Park but it was too muddy Nd crowded there. Instead we had it at AB Sawyer Park and it was a great place. I think we all had a good time and the kids had a blast playing. The menu was hot dogs, chips, pretzels, pasta salad, fruit salad and brownies.

Fashion Police

So Rachel served as my What Not to Wear coach. My clothes have really started to frustrate me with not knowing what to wear and thinking everything looks dumb. So, we went through every piece of clothing I had and put over half of what I wear in the Goodwill pile. Now I guess I just need to go shopping!

Happy Birthday Hez!

His birthday started rough with Uriah being sick, had french toast for breakfast, house hunting, ENT appointment with Uriah, grilled chicken for dinner, went for a second look at a house and now making an offer. Sounds like an eventful birthday to me!

Sick kiddo

Uriah was up all night last night throwing up and so Hez didn't have a very good night. He stayed home from school today. Hez and Rachel went house hunting and then took Uriah to an ENT appointment.

Making an offer

I am sitting on the couch right now as Hez and Rachel are working up an offer with their realtor. I went over tonight with them to see the house along with Rachel's dad. It is really cute. Lots of neat molding and it is a nice size space. I think it would be a good house for them. The big deal is that it is being sold for 169 and they want to offer a lot less. Don't know if they are going to come to a meeting place or not. Hope so!

Double Rainbow!

Yesterday we had two separate occasions to see a double rainbow out our front window. It was really neat and the kids loved it... especially Uriah. Hoping that was the last rain for a couple days. Here is a photo of one of them: http://yfrog.com/gz44muopj.

A Light Day for Me

Today I had an OB appointment and a meeting with Cathy so Rachel watched the boys for me for a while today. That was nice to have some alone and free time. I am going to do that for her tomorrow. Hopefully she can get some recharge time because I know that the late nights and the home search has taken a lot out of her.

No go on the offer

The houses from yesterday are a no go. They decided they were too much work for the cost. The house is at the top of their budget and there was like $20,000 in renovations to be done so I think it was a good choice. I know this process is stressful on Rachel and I just hope that they find something soon for their sake and their nerves!

Tonight Rachel and I talked about any annoyances or frustrations we had with each other so far in living together. The only thing I shared was that I asked if she could verbally express thanks more often, like when I make lunches or dinner or watch the kids. I totally love to do that for them and serve them but the appreciation expressed really encourages me to keep it up. I felt way needy even saying that but I am glad it is out there because if I didn't it might have turned into resentment. After I told her she put up a really nice post on facebook:

"feeling so appreciative of Jenny Hunter for all she & her family are sacrificing for us. So blessed to have this opportunity to deepen our friendship. Hopefully, our actions will speak louder than this, but THANK YOU!"

An Offer in the Works?

So Hez and Rachel have 2 houses they like right now. One is nice but by an apartment, the other is in a better location but not as updated. They are going to have Rachel's dad come down tomorrow to take a look through for his opinion. I know they are excited and it is in a close location so I like that! :)

Coliving

So I am weird and several months ago I shared with Daryl how I thought coliving or communal living would be really neat. The idea of sharing responsibilities of housework, meal prep, childcare, etc. just sounded so nice to me. I also just like to be with other people and forming community and intimate friendships. It is so interesting how we are now in that reality. So neat to experience it firsthand. I don't know about the Barnes but I am really enjoying it. It will be interesting to see how the rest of our time together goes. I hope it does form a tight bond between our families.

Happy Easter

Had a good Easter today. Went to church this morning. Usually we end up with family on Easter but all the parents were out of town so we had a relaxing day at home. We didn't really do any sort of celebration or special meal or anything. But, it reminds me of when we were in seminary and got to spend holidays with the Lathams. There is something nice about holidays with friends... low stress and good company.

One Week Down

So it has been one week since our new living arrangement started. I think things are going well so far. We are still talking and working together well. I really enjoy having them here and getting to go out with Rachel and get to know her kids better. Hope things continue to go well.

How Does She Do It?

My respect goes out to parents of kids that are handicapped or have special needs. Rachel has to deal with this every day and I don't know how she does it. I mean I would be so overwhelmed and depressed if I had a kid with autism and the possibility of another. But she and Hez have SO much patience with U and J. It is inspiring.

One Last Visit

Rachel and Hez went out this evening to make one last trip to the house. I know it was kind of hard to leave which is totally understandable. That is where they formed so many memories and the only house that Judah knows. If we ever end up moving, it will be really hard for me as well.

Meal Prep

So we have gotten into a routine of meal prep and clean up. Rachel and I switch off, one making the meal and the other entertaining the kids. This week we have on the menu:

Taco Salad
Jambalaya
Grilled Chicken Tenders
Spaghetti
Fried Rice

It seems to be working pretty well so far.

Making food for 4 adults and 7 kids is quite interesting. We are using disposable plates for most meals and that helps a lot on the cleanup.

Decisions, Decisions

Rachel and I and a few kids went out this morning to drive by a few houses on their list. Most were in the Lyndon area but a couple were in J-town. She is so torn to know whether to live in J-town, Middletown or Lyndon. It is a tough choice since J-town is cheaper but her heart is in Middletown. Obviously I would LOVE to have them live in Lyndon. It is going to be interesting to see how it is all going to shake out.

Reason #3

Reason #3 it is awesome that the B family is living with us: When I go to Parents Day Out to pick up Jacob, I can leave Andrew at home! It is so nice to not have to tote him in and out. It seems like a little thing but it is nice.

Ah, I Can Breathe

Kids are in bed now and I am feeling better now. :) Love our time in the evenings with Hez and Rachel being able to talk and visit. It is a wonderful time of recharging. I mean, it is 11:40 and I should so be in bed, but this is definitely my favorite part of the day. So fun to get to know them better. Especially Hez since I really haven't had much of a chance to get to know him. He is fun. And, he makes a mean decaf latte!

A Wee Bit Overwhelmed

So I have been feeling a little overwhelmed the past hour or so. Andrew has been really fussy for some reason and Judah has been as well so between the two of them I have been holding one or the other and then there are a load of others running around to deal with. Then Daryl got home and was getting on me a little about where things were and such. Got me a little weapy. Maybe it is the pregnancy hormones. :) Is it bedtime yet?

First Day of School

Well, at the first day at the new school for U. I pray all goes well for him and that he loves his new school. He has about 1.5 months left to finish up kindergarten. I hope that there is no stress that come about because of the school situation for Hez and Rachel and that he transitions easily!

UPDATE: All went well today at school I think. The issue was with the bus. When he was dropped off the bus assistant yelled at the kids to SHUT UP RIGHT NOW! I mean, what is up with that? Obviously Rachel was a little unsettled about this. He did this in front of a parent. Hope that issue doesn't come up again. At least we know he is only on the bus about 10 minutes.

Late and Wild Night

So it is 1:18 and we are finally about to go to bed. There were severe storms go through the area just now with tornado warnings and sirens and the works. Rachel gets pretty worried in storms so it was an anxious evening. The actual storm was pretty mild when it went through though so that is good. Evenings like tonight are ones where having a basement would be pretty nice.

Reason #2

Reason #2 it is awesome that the B family is living with us: I get to go grocery shopping alone! I went this morning and Rachel watched the boys. It was great! I got done quickly and could focus on what I needed to get!

Special Friends

This will probably be a mushy post. So last night I had a dream about Rachel. In my dream we worked together at a desk job. She told me that she was changing jobs to working in food service and organizing and selling sandwiches and lunches. Kind of in a leadership role. Interesting. The second part of the dream she told me she couldn't have bread for two days because she was having a test female test run. It was this second part where she was really sad, worried and was crying.

It is weird how dreams like this can help you see how much you care about someone. It was real in the dream that she was scared and so was I. I have grown to love Rachel over the past 6 months or so. I only hope that living together will draw us closer and not put any strain on our relationship.

She is a great mom and such a caring person. She is so easy to talk to and I love how she has invested in knowing me. I have quite a few surface friends but having a friend you can confide in and know is so special. I am truly blessed.

So if you read this Rachel, know you are loved by me. As a friend, peer, sister, and I am so thankful for who you are in my life. You are such a beautiful person.

I look forward to the next few months and sharing our lives. I only hope that I can be the friend you need me to be and that through my actions and words I can show you how much you mean to me.

Much Progress

So they guys went over last night and got a lot done with packing. That is so great since it takes off a lot of stress from them about getting everything done in time. All they have left is taking a load over to storage and getting a few last, little items.

Reason #1

Reason #1 it is awesome that the B family is living with us: The boys playing together outside and wear themselves out! The weather has been great the past two days and they have played outside and played hard! Running and sliding and climbing and just being boys. It is great to see. Nathan is normally not like that when it is just he and Jacob. Andrew is loving the action as well. Although I have noticed that I will need to use lots more stain stick with the grass stains they are accumulating. :)

Sick kids

So we have the first kid is sick today. U woke up last night with a fever and had to miss his first day of school at Bowen today. :( Hope he gets well soon and no one else gets sick.

Rachel, my hero

Found a good reason that the B family moved in that I didn't know. A lizard got into our laundry room and Rachel caught and released it! What a woman! :)

Moving!

First full day. Sunday. We were out this morning for church and lunch. We came home and the dads were working on stuff (one packing and one putting down mulch). It was a little hectic with all the kids here and no dads to help. Worked out okay. At least the weather was nice and we were able to get them outside.

We had a cookout for dinner and then I went over to their house to help them pack up some more stuff. They have a few more days to get out. Still a lot more to do!

It has started!

So we have added 6 people to our 1220 square feet home. Our friends have sold their house and they are staying with us to save a little money for their downpayment. They have 4 kids: 6, 5, 5, and 1. That is added to our family of 5 (and a 1/2). Should be quite an adventure! Hopefully our relationship after this is as good or better than it is now! :) I look forward to the stories to come.