Life Lately as Seen Through My iPhone.

So much has been going on with us this summer, but here are just a few snapshots of what we go into!

In May, Brooklyn and I attended RU's annual Employee and Baby Brunch. We had some great mommy and daughter bonding time! 

In early June, Easton attended bible school at a local church. Reagan missed him while he was gone each day, so I made it a big deal to wait for him to get home with Daddy. This is her on the front porch doing just that!

Also while Easton was at Bible School, the girls got in a lot of bonding time. Look at these sweet sisters!

Even though it was sweltering outside this summer, we still spent many days on our screened porch playing.

We also worked hard on getting everyone eating a meal at the table at the SAME time. It's definitely organized chaos!

On weekends we slept in late most days. Love the bed head?

We also worked on getting the kids used to going out to eat. Who wants to be THAT mom and dad with the hyper, screaming, unruly kids?...not us. Here's Easton and Reagan at Cracker Barrel working on their checkers skills.

And finally, pretty much every Sunday that JT worked, we went to visit him at the fire station. We have THREE little people who are enthralled with their Daddy and want to be just like him!

Hope your summer was just as much fun as ours was!

All About the F's!

Fun, Fourth, Fireworks and Family!

My four-day weekend was all about the F's. First up, lots of fun! We spent Saturday swimming in the pool of a family friend. It's saltwater, which is so easy on your skin and eyes, and the kids love it!

The girls love to pose for the camera!

Easton liked to stop and take snack breaks. Can you tell what he's eating?

Sunday, JT and I got some alone time. We went to see Transformers in 3-D. And, NO I don't have a picture of us in those crazy glasses you have to wear! The movie was awesome though!

4th of July this year was fun, but rainy! I am just glad JT got to spend it with us this year! Here's Brooklyn and Daddy when we first got there....before the monsoon started!

Reagan loved all the fun light-up toys!

I'm glad we got a family picture before we got all wet! It's our first one since Christmas!



And finally, yesterday, Tuesday, JT and I went to Villa Rica, Ga., to help my parents and Aunt set up my grandmother's room in an assisted living facility. We tried to make it feel really homey and comfortable for her. She's moving in today, and I hope it's a smooth transition for her and my mom and aunt.

Happy Hump Day!

Coupon Clique

With a family of FIVE now, it's really important that we stay on a budget and shop smart. So, in regards to this, I have become an insane crazy awesome coupon lady girl!

Just today, I went into Publix, and before coupons my total was $129.97, after coupons...du, dun, duuuun....$37.95!!! I saved $92.02! AND, I actually got things we'll use/eat!

My adrenaline was pumping when I went in the store...that's how I know I'm crazy about coupons! Especially when I save that amount of money!

Because I am so excited about it, I started my own Facebook page for it. Search for coupon clique on Facebook and you should find it first thing if I'm your friend on Facebook!

Have a great Thursday!

Beach or Bust!

In a few weeks, we'll be headed to the beach...Fernandina Beach, Fla. to be exact. I can't wait. This will be Easton's fifth time, Reagan's second time, and Brooklyn's first time going to the beach.

We've had so much fun over the years, but having our children there with us makes it that more exciting and fun. Seeing it through their eyes gives new meaning to the experience!

The first time Easton went to the beach, he was 5 months old. And that year we went to Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

For Reagan's first time at the beach, just last year, she was 9 months old. We went to Tybee Island, Georgia.

I can't wait to go this year and see Brooklyn's reaction to the beach, and take lots of pictures of her and Easton and Reagan!

Have a great Tuesday!

Who I Am...

I am...a wife, mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter, and friend.

I want...a bigger house where all our kids can have their own rooms and with a BIG playroom where I can just shut the door to all the mess!

I have...a very blessed life.

I wish...that I could be a talented, professional photographer.

I hate...that I only get to see my kids for three hours a day during the work week.

I fear...the future. I can be a very pessimistic person.

I hear...my children telling me they love me and my heart melts.

I search...for the things that truly make me happy in life…beyond my hubby and children; I am still searching for most of them.

I wonder...what kind of people our children will grow up to be. Here’s hoping we can raise them to be good people!

I regret...that I don’t get to spend a lot of time with my grandmother. She’s slowly losing her memory, and might one day forget who I am.

I love...that my husband is my best friend.

I ache...when I workout too hard!

I always...kiss my husband and kids and tell them I love them before I walk out the door. You are never guaranteed another day or minute in this life.

I usually...worry about everything!

I am not...a happy camper when I am hungry or sleep deprived.

I dance...with my kids to songs on cartoons.

I sing...to my kids, in the shower, in my van, walking up the stairs at work, everywhere I can!

I never...tell a secret. If you tell me it’s a secret, I keep it.

I sometimes…wish life was easier, but wouldn’t change it for anything.

I cry...at everything.

I am not always...the best at keeping in touch with friends….sorry!

I lose...my keys ALL the time.

I am confused...at the way humankind treats each other.

I need...more time to spend alone with my hubby.

I should...not worry, not fear the future, chase my dreams, and spend more time with my hubby!

Our Baby Brooklyn

Our sweet baby Brooklyn will be 6 months on Monday, June 20. I can't believe I have already had the privilege of being her mom for half of a year already.

Some things that I always want to remember about her at this age:

• She has already said her first word: Da-Da!
• She can roll over from back to front and front to back, and she can sit by herself with support from her arms.
• She loves to eat sweet potatoes and fruits, but pretty much shivers and gags at everything else.
• She has the sweetest disposition and seems to be very laid back.
• She loves to watch everything her brother and sister are doing. She laughs every time her sister laughs and loves when her big brother holds her.
• I love how she gets so excited when she sees me for the first time after I've been gone for a while.
• She loves to chew on her toes and fingers and drools all over you!

Brooklyn has just been a pure joy and blessing to our family. We adore her and love her dearly!

Growing Up

It's amazing how much your children change in personality and looks in just a few short months time. It makes me sad that before too long, they're not going to be babies anymore, but grown kids.

Can you believe this was Easton at just a little under two years old?

And this was him just a few weeks ago.

Here's Reagan at 9 months old.

And here she is at 18 months.

And little bumble B at 3 months old.

Now 6 months old!

Our kids are growing into special little people and we cherish the time we spend with them. One day, they're going to be all grown up, but they will always be our sweet babies!

Summer Daze

This summer we have a lot of plans...plans, that is, for playing, laughing, loving, swimming, celebrating, jumping, exercising, vacationing, cooking, sleeping and more of what I just said.

We've already gotten off to a great start. We kicked off the summer, or soon to be summer, with a Memorial Day cookout with JT's family.

We enjoyed some watermelon,

played with trains,

and loved on our baby dolls.

I can't wait to see what else this summer will bring!

Happy Hump Day!

Mommy and Daddy Time!

Johnathan and I recently just got back from a whirlwind trip to Panama City Beach, Fla., with a couple of our friends. We had so much fun "adult" time, and it was great to get away from the stresses of home and just long enough for me not to miss the kids TOO much!

The first day, we rode scooters. J let me drive. I was freaked out at first, but soon got the hang of it!

We visited the famous Pineapple Willy's. Great food right on the beach!

We did a lot of laying out on the beach. Here's our Sports Illustrated Swimsuit-esque picture...yeah right!

The last night we were there we went to Angelo's, home of Big Gus, the famous 20,000 pound steer...okay.

Overall, we had a blast but we were ready to get back to our munchkins.

Happy Hump Day!

Our Life Lately as Seen Through My iPhone

With the beautiful weather of spring, it's encouraged us to spend plenty of time outside. We've had plenty of hair-raising times on the kids jumpoline!

Since our baby turned four months, we were given the go ahead to give her solid foods. This is her "enjoying" her applesauce!

Speaking of food. Easton has started trying more of a variety of new foods lately. He was loving some Chinese food a few nights ago! Sorry the pic is sideways. It doesn't look like that in my preview. Oh well!

The weekend of Easter we celebrated the wedding of my brother, Jeremy, and now sister-in-law Rebecca. Johnathan and I were both in the wedding...aren't we a gorgeous couple? ;  )

Our girls love each other so much, and they love to dress the same. They are so close in age I sometimes think of them as twins so why NOT dress them alike!

And finally, just today, Easton got to go to a train show with my parents, his Gammie and Poppa! He is a big train fan. My mom said his picture will be in the newspaper tomorrow!

Life Lessons

As this blog is named "Lauren's Life Lessons," I thought it was time for me to share some life lessons that I have learned, discovered, facilitated, and given recently.

1) Don't jump to conclusions and assume the worst. I always am one to play the "devil's advocate," so to speak, and always look for the worst outcome in a situation and think that's what's going to actually happen. I need to remember to trust in GOD and know that everything happens for a reason and it will all work out the way HE planned it to.

2) I never had a sister, only a brother, and as special as he is, I really wish I had been able to have a sister to share secrets with, do girly activities, go through pregnancies together, and I could go on. So, now that I have TWO daughters, I want to help them form a loving relationship and bond that I never got to experience. Even now, with Reagan at only 18 months and Brooklyn at only 4 months, I encourage them to play together and love on each other (Reagan LOVES to hold her little sister), and they will soon share a room together. I hope they grow up cherishing each other and have a great friendship throughout their lives.

3) Easton is an amazingly little boy! Although not up to average standards in his language development, he is the smartest little four-year-old I know! He teaches us so much every day about him and what he can do, and he teaches us about ourselves and how we should be patient and understanding of all kinds of people in all walks of life. He is truly one special little guy!

4) I have discovered recently that fudge creme oreos are absolutely the greatest cookie on Earth...but if I'm gonna lose the rest of this baby weight, then I need to stop eating them every night...I do limit myself to one...okay two...a day!

5) As many times that I don't get sleep at night because our babies are up sick, or I am so tired from a long day at work and it seems like the kids are there just to drive me insane, or Johnathan and I are fighting about something really stupid and petty, I wouldn't change one single thing about my life at all. I love my kids so much; my husband is my best friend and soul mate; and GOD is a forever in our lives.

That's all my life lessons for now. On to something else for today!

Jump Reagan!

Just thought this was funny and cute!

Happy Ash Wednesday!

Look Who's Cooing!

Isn't this just precious!? Brooklyn has started cooing!

So sweet!

Bumble B's Birth Story!

Wow! The last three months have been crazy to say the least. We went from having a boy and a little baby girl, to having a boy and TWO little baby girls!

The birth story

On December, 20, 2010 at 10:57 p.m. our sweet little baby Brooklyn was born! Just a quick run down of the "labor" day. I went in at 7:30 a.m. that day with my mom to get started on the induction. Why my mom and not Johnathan? Well, dummy me had scheduled the induction on the same day as Johnathan's paramedic practical exams, but it was just for the morning and we knew he would make it to be with me well before the baby came. So, the induction was long and slow. The nurse secretly, aside from my doctor knowing, didn't give me much pitocin, at first, so that Johnathan would definitely make it on time.

Sometime around mid-afternoon and once Johnathan got there, the contractions were gettting more painful, so I requested the epidural. They had given me some kind of pain medicine right before that to help with the pain, and it made me really loopy and I started bawling and thought I was going to pass out, but Johnathan and the nurse reassured me it was going to be okay.

More time went on and soon it began to feel like the epidural was wearing off. At this point, they still hadn't checked me except one other time to see if I had dialated. I was in A LOT of pain and the anesthesiologist came in to up my epidural meds. Then the nurse was like, why don't we go ahead and check you and see where we are at at this point. So, she did and it didn't take her but two seconds and she starts yelling for the other nurses and the doctor to come in. Brooklyn was already coming out and THAT'S why I was in so much pain! A side note to this too, while all this was happening, Johnathan wasn't even in the room OR on the same floor for that matter. He had gone downstairs to meet his mom who was bringing food, so they had to call him and tell him to run back upstairs!!!

Once all the nurses got setup, I started pushing...and only three pushes later, out Brooklyn came! She was a big bundle of joy at 8 lbs. 7.6 oz and 21 3/4 inches. A full head of hair and she already had a tan, which I still believe is from when I got painfully sunburned while we were in Mexico that September.

Our beautiful Brooklyn, or Bumble B as I have nicknamed her, is such a joy. She is a good baby with an easy going personality. She looks just like her brother and already loves to watch her brother and sister. I can't wait till she can interact with them and they can play together. Reagan calls her the "bay-ba" and looks for her every morning to see where she is. We just love her so much!

Congrats!

On another note, Johnathan is officially a paramedic! We are so proud of him and all his accomplishments. He is such a wonderful husband and father! Congrats to my hubby!