Skiing at the Park

The other day we went to the park to ski (becuase we got out of the house too late for 'free after 3' at Alta). The boys had fun skiing down the hill with the sledders and riding up on their own personal rope tow. Dad and I had fun working up a sweat. This is a video of Jack's first jump of his skiing career!

Gingerbread Massacre

So this year we attempted the ever popular Gingerbread house contruction/decoration. We've done it in years past but each time I forget how to do it for some reason. It's not that hard, but it always seems like the walls cave in or the roof falls off and it becomes a really frustrating experience. So, this year was no exception. Noah got to make one out of graham crackers at school so Jack was overjoyed when he saw that we had one to make at home. We started out with great enthusiasm but I quickly realized that I had messed up when the roof started sliding off under the weight of our decorations. Then as a last resort I decided to read the instructions (seriously, who needs instructions for something as straightforward as this?), only to find that we were supposed to put it togehter and wait for 15 minutes BEFORE decorating. Oops. No going back now. So, I enlisted my engineer husband to rescue our failing structure. When I came back 10 minutes later this is what I found.....

A pack of angry cinnamon bears had invaded and were storming the house with their toothpick guns. Only two were left to defend the pathetic excuse for a house and they were stranded on the roof. A few more were sacrificed on the side of the house with toothpicks through their heads to hold the roof up (too grousome to picture here).
After staring the boys in the face for a week, I finally relented and let them eat it (gross, gross, gross, stale gingerbread and crusty frosting, yuck! But sugar in ANY form is irresistable). It ended up on the floor and so to the garbage it went, much to their dismay (and my secret joy). Another Christmas tradition has been established!

Christmas Events

Well, now that Christmas is over and New Years is here I thought I'd get around to posting some pictures! We had such a great Christmas this year, very relaxing and lazy. We were home for the first time in a while and just had some good friends (Mark and Katie) over for brunch and dinner. Here's a picture of all the boys together on the couch!

The kids were so excited for Christmas morning! We've decided that we probably could've waited until Jack was 5 to start giving him gifts for Christmas...it really was the first year that he was up to speed on why we celebrate Christmas and what it means to give gifts. We had fun reading the Christmas story and talking about the reason Jesus came to earth as a baby. We left cookies out for Santa with egg nog and they were gone in the morning. He was a little unsure about how Santa could fit down our stove pipe and when we mentioned that we'd probably have to turn the fire down he stared at the stove with a look of concern on his face. When he asked me if Santa is real I told him about St. Nicholas and then he told me he thinks that Santa is just an actor. So, I think he's kind of at a point where he believes that there is an actor dressed as Santa that comes down our chimney and brings a few gifts. He did ask if we could have a 'family sneak up' in the middle of the night so we could all spy on Santa and see him in person. I thought that was pretty cute.

Otherwise, we have finally nailed down a few traditions I think. We decided that taco soup is a great Christmas Eve dinner that we want to continue. We also decided that each year we'll buy a new game for the family and open it Christmas Eve so that we can play it together that night. This year we got Jenga. Mark's favorite is the prime rib for Christmas dinner! Although we were shocked at the price of that big hunk of meat. It will have to start becoming a party of our Christmas budget if it's really a tradition, yikes!! But, it was pretty tasty and the leftovers made great fajitas.

Oh, I also attempted some family pictures. It was a pretty ridiculous experience and I'm sure it will continue to be for the next few years. But, at least we have a photo to look back on. Jasper looks like he was crying but he was really singing Christmas carols the whole time while Noah picked his nose and Jack scoffed at my pathetic attempts to make them all smile and look at me. The Christmas spirit was amazing. All in all, it was one of our best Christmas holidays!

Oh, and Jasper was thrilled to wear his Christmas outfit from Grandma Mary (Mary Bowman), so cute!!

Jasper

He's already a month old! It's so hard to believe. Here are some of my favorite pictures...

Baaaaaaad Day

I finally got a real taste of life with three at home this week. Mark had all day meetings and the weather has been soooo cold (not to mention the air quality is horrible) so we've been inside most of the time. I did well until Friday came. I think it must be a combination of exhaustion, hormones (yes I admit it, I'm hormonal!) and extremely energetic kids that just drove me over the edge!! Anyway, it was one of those days when the baby screamed all morning long and the other two just chased each other around the house bickering and yelling while I went from nice mom to monster mom at the drop of a hat. This dynamic seems to be a cycle. We start out peaceful and pleasant and then the baby starts to cry, my nerves ramp up and then Jack and Noah somehow sense my looniness and start to go crazy themselves. I wish I could keep my sense of humor or at least remember how momentary this time is, but no, my patience gets sucked into the vortex of chaos. This ugly cycle leaves me feeling so guilty at the end of the day. I wonder if my kids believe that I love them and I wonder if they'll grow up as scarred individuals or have a crazy view of women becuase of my dr. jeckle and mr. hyde behavior (all lies by the way, but very believable ones on a day like that). I'm so thankful to know the Lord, especially during times like these! He shows up immediately when I ask Him to, just by soothing my frayed nerves somehow. He is so gracious to answer when I ask! If only I would remember to wake up asking every day, things would go a lot more smoothly.
Then today at church the sermon really hit me. He was talking about being a person who is known for loving others the way Christ loved us. And how Christ loved us enough to take on human form and hang on the cross. I was struck by the fact that Christ endured soooooo much on our behalf and His only response was LOVE! How humbling to think that I can't make it through a day with my three kids without feeling the tug of selfishness and even letting it get the best of me! Good greif. All I'm 'putting up with' is another diaper change, a needy scream or two, another snack request and a few toy disputes. Yet, at the same time, Christ extends His amazing grace and even puts up with me claiming it as mine (how dillusional can a person get? to think that I'm actually a kind and loving person apart from Christ...). All the while He has paid the ultimate price so that I can go through an ugly day and at the end confess to Him and ask for forgiveness for my selfishness and bad responses. I guess this really hit me between the eyes this morning. I know I'll never have enough patience and love to fulfill my kids' needs each day. I just pray that I'll remember that and continue to ask BEFORE I feel the need!!

Baby Boy is here!

On Saturday we got to finally meet our new bundle of joy! Jasper Mark Lovejoy was born at 7:43am after 5 hours of labor. He was 20 inches long and 7lbs. 14oz. The hard part this time was going into labor at 2:45am. With both the other boys I went into labor at 5 am. after a full night's rest. It really made a difference, but once these things get started there's no going back...! It's amazing how different three boys can be. First there was Jack who was super tiny when he was born (6lbs.2 oz.) and you could just see his personality from day one. I'll put a picture up of him at 6 days and you can see what I mean. Then there was Noah who came two weeks early weighing in at 8lbs. and suprising us with his red hair. He's just been a cuddler and such a sweet second child (with some feistiness of his own of course). Even his interests are different, he's the one who loves stuffed animals and all kinds of construction trucks and vehicles while Jack loves to play combat (especially Star Wars). So, along comes Jasper...with his thick brown hair, rounding out the rainbow for us I suppose (I couldn't help but post this picture of my ridiculous monkey hat that I made for the hospital:). All along while I was pregnant with him I wondered at how much he moved around. Some nights I would get a little motion sick by all the movement...it kind of had me a little worried! So, forgive me if this is too graphic, but when he was being born, his head popped out and when my midwife stuck her finger in his mouth to sweep it, he BIT her and wouldn't let go! She gave a yelp of surprise and Mark laughed! Hm...not sure what to think of this yet.
But, nonetheless, he's a great baby so far. He loves to eat and of course sleep all day and scream all night. Ok, he's only had two nights to do that but still, that feels like an eternity for someone who is still catching up on sleep from three nights ago and is sore from using muscles that weren't in use for 9 months! People ask who this little guy looks like and it's hard to answer, so I figure I'll post pictures of all three so you can decide for yourself!

Here is Jasper, all that hair!!

Here is Noah, who has just been kind of thick from the get go.

This is Jack at 6 days old. No, we didn't pose him this way...my mom and dad say that he looks like he just hiked to the top of a mountain and laid down to take a snooze.

Upcoming Events

It's hard to believe that it's fall! It was 77 degrees here at our house yesterday. That is the warmest that it's been on my birthday that I can remember! Today is just as nice, it's about 70 out. The leaves are still falling and it definatly looks like fall still but the warm weather really makes me do a double take.
Mark just told me that they have 29 fraternity guys signed up for their outreach on Sunday! This will be the second paintball outreach they (Chris and Mark) have heald for this particular fraternity and it's so much fun to see it grow like this. This will definatly be the biggest number we have had for a Lifelines event yet in Utah!
On another note, we are holding a women's outreach at the same time on Sunday and we're calling it Christmas in November. We've done it the past few years and it's always a big hit! We have a woman who is very crafty come and show us a few unique craft ideas for the holidays that can make gift giving affordable and economical for college students. Last year she shared some really remarkable things about what the Lord has taught her about her uniqueness as a woman and her creativity. It really made an impact and it's such a fun event for the women to bring their friends to. We are definatly praying that God will use both of these events in huge ways to grow His kingdom and further the gospel here among college students. I can't wait to update you!
On another note...we are still awaiting baby #3's arrival...we will definatly be updating you on that as well!:)

Mark's Men's Time

So, Mark got home yesterday from his men's time in Moab. He went with about 10 guys from Utah and met about 10 more guys from Northern Arizona University. They spent the weekend rock climbing, paint balling and rapelling off of an arch (yikes, no thanks!). It was fun to hear the excitment in his voice as he talked about some of the guys that went with them. It was a mixed crowd, some believers and some non-believers which is what we were after! And, everyone got home safely as well which is always an added perk. If you think of it, please pray for the guys who went that aren't believers yet. I know God has awesome things in store and will use this weekend as a jumping off point for some of them. In our history here in Utah we've seen the most success with ministry when people become involved socially and feel like they are part of the group first. The way our students interact with each other is really attractive to others...sometimes I'm so impressed by our students!

While Mark was gone, I spent some time with some really good friends who were in town for the weekend. In fact, I was spoiled! Our great friends John and Sara are so sweet and generous. Even though I'm fighting off a cough, 8 months pregnant and had two crazy boys who were semi-sick as well, I can honestly say that I am coming out of this last weekend refreshed and blessed becuase of our dear friends. We only wish they lived closer!!!! It was really fun to watch all four of our boys running around together with Jack as the leader of the pack. It wouldn't have been a complete weekend with these guys though if someone hadn't taken a hard spill in the driveway and scraped their face to shreds. I guess it was our turn to take that one, I'll post pictures of poor Noah later...but he looks like he got dragged behind a tractor for a mile:( So sad.

Fall Scarves

I started these last winter and just finally finished them up! For some reason it takes me forever to get things finished when I have to sew buttons or do a fringe or something like that. I just procrastinate! But the boys LOVE these and have been having "snake fights" with each other and dad constantly. It's fun to have them like something I make! The snake's tongue makes him look a little like a fire breathing dragon...but oh well. I was a little afraid that they would be itchy but they're not at all so that's lucky I guess. I plan to make a few more for the other guys (nephews etc.) for Christmas. They're pretty quick and easy. The tweed gives them a fun effect too! Mark thinks I should make a hat that looks like a snake swallowing your head and call it the 'I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor' hat...you know that poem? It's one of those morbid poems that we all grew up reading.

I guess I'm a cluster blogger. I like to make a bunch of posts in one day and then take forever to post again. I'm not sure that anyone really reads this anyway so maybe it doesn't matter! So tomorrow is supposed to be cold (like there's actually a good chance that it might snow tomorrow night!). Today it was in the mid 80's so I'm having a hard time believing it. Mark spent today prepping with enthusiasm...in his mind it could be eternal winter and he would be as happy as a clam. He swept the chimney and chopped wood. He even took some kindling to our neighbor who loans us his chimney sweep and other stove equipement all the time. He was talking with even more enthusiasm about his upcoming hunting trip. I guess it is that time of year.

He didn't have meetings this morning and so while the boys went to preschool he and I had a date! We went and had hot chocolate at our favorite chocolate place (anyone from SLC can you guess??). Yes, it was in the mid 80's like I mentioned before. In fact the store wasn't open until 11 and we arrived at 10 so we went for a walk (or waddle in my case). It was a nice break and we hardly ever get to do that sort of thing! Otherwise I've spent much of my time the past few days thinking about sleeping, wishing I could sleep and looking on with envy as my family sleeps peacefully. I've banished myself to the couch becuase anytime I lay down I start to cough. I have a smoker's cough (so does Noah). I can't even imagine if I really was a smoker, how aweful.

Our fall retreat was last weekend and I've heard lots of encouraging things about it. One of the girls up north got baptized! The speaker was a pastor from India and I guess he was really great. I was disappointed to not go, but after years of braving it, I decided of all times in my life to stay home this was it. The boys and I spent the day on Saturday at Walmart instead...sounds uneventful but with those two nothing ever is.

New Goodies on Etsy

Here are my latest creations for Etsy:) The other day I got to go take pictures of my friend's baby in a new little cocoon that I made. Sooo cute! I am making one for our bambino in the meantime. I also put my little stocking cap on her and took some cute photos. Newborns are just so easy to photograph! I wish toddlers and 5 year olds were as easy...

Did I mention I LOVE my camera?:) Below: some new sock monkey longies and some adorable girly longies that I'm calling 'Sunday's Best' because of the black and purple and also the picot trim around the bottom. I'm laughing right now to myself becuase I know there are people out there trying to predict what we are having based on what I've been knitting...he he he....by the way...I sold the 'jack o'lantern' longies a couple of weeks ago in case you're wondering:)

Laundry Soap recipe

So, I know I've passed this recipe around to some people but I thought since I've had a few conversations about it recently that I'd go ahead and post it here as well. We use this laundry soap almost exclusively, and when we are using diapers this is definatly the stuff I use. Laundry soap that you can use on cloth diapers is really expensive and so to have an alternative that keeps my diapers economical is really an essential. I'm also posting my homemade wipes recipe (I say 'my' but really, none of these are original to me! They can all be found on multiple sites around the web). For those of you who recieved an electric knife for your wedding and don't have any use for it (it's definatly one of those gifts that I wondered why we were hanging onto it!)...cutting rolls of paper towels is the only use we've given ours! And I have to say, that if you don't have an electric knife it is a total pain to try cutting the rolls.
For diapers use:
1Cup Borax
1Cup Washing Soda
1Cup Oxiclean free (no smellies etc.)
Just mix and store in a bag or box of some kind. I like to make lots of this so I usually at least double or triple the recipe at once. To use just scoop out about 2-4 tablespoons and throw it in the wash with the soiled diapers.

For regular laundry soap:
1Cup Borax
1Cup Washing Soda
1 bar of castile soap ground in a food processor or blender (Kirk's Castile soap is super cheap and can be found in most grocery stores, otherwise you can also use Dr. Bronners if you want a little scent but it is much more expensive!).
And, no, I haven't ever had any issues with soap residue in my kitchen appliances. If you think about it, you wash them with soap right? Just consider them extra clean:)
Just mix and store this as well. You only use between 2 Tablespoons and 1/4 Cup for a load depending on how soiled your laundry is and how big the load is. I do usually try to allow the soap to dissolve just a little in the water before adding cloths but I'm lazy and I don't like to wait for it to totally dissolve before adding my clothes (I have better things to do than sit and watch my washer fill!) and I've never had a problem with it caking onto my clothes.

Ok, so for the wipes:
Use strong paper towels (I like the Bounty ones from Costco). You can also choose a kind that has the 1/2 towels and you won't have to cut the roll in 1/2. I always just cut the rolls in 1/2 so they are about the size of a roll of toilet paper.
Mix 2 Cups of boiled/filtered hot water with 2 tablespoons each of baby wash and baby oil. I acutally like to use apricot oil since baby oil is usually nothing more than just mineral oil wich does NOTHING for our skin. I've also used Burt's Bees oil wich is wonderful and has a really nice apricot scent. Jojoba oil works well and so does olive oil.
Just mix these together (double if you're not cutting your towels in 1/2) and then poor into the tube of the paper towel roll and let it just soak up. You'll want to have your paper towels in the container that you're using to store them, like a tall plastic storage container or something. A ziplock bag will work as well, you just need something to hold in the moisture.

A word of warning about the wipes...they will dry out quickly if not sealed properly. They will also mold if you hang onto them for too long since there aren't the preservatives in them that the store bought ones have. Enjoy!

My husband the photographer

A couple of weeks ago I dragged Mark out to the backyard on a whim to take some maternity photos. I never did this with the other two so I figured since this is my last opportunity (Lord willing the last pregnancy!:) that I'd better do it while we had a chance. I also fixed up the kiddos really quick and even made Mark put on a nice shirt. I continue to be amazed at how great things turn out with just a nice camera and very little experience. I only wish I had more things to take pictures of, I guess maybe that takes creativity. I also don't really know what to do with all these pictures since I'm not much of a scrapbooker...at least for now I'm going to put some up in the nursery.

Swim Lessons

The boys have been in swim lessons this summer too. It's been fun watching Jack take off! He's loving it and getting pretty confident with putting his head under. He practices in the bathtub almost every night. He loves to float on his back as well. It's not been as fun for Noah who is semi-miserable when he's not crying in the pool. Mark had to take him to most of the lessons since he behaved much better and would actually get in the water when I wasn't there! I guess it must be an age thing?

Cute little cupcake

This is another fun little knitting project that I've been contemplating for a long time. When a friend had a baby and I needed a quick gift, this came in handy! It was a quick and simple knit and turned out adorable. I made a newborn size that is quite small and I hope it will still fit this fall when the weather turns colder (which at this point seems like it will never do!).

Another project I've been working on for a long time are these linen stitch longies. I ordered yarn way back in the spring and couldn't wait to start the project. I made the newborn size so that I could finish them quickly. They were done before we left for our summer adventures but I didn't take pictures of them till now. I love the way linen stitch turns out with varigated yarn! I have another pair in the works now with a little brighter colors.

Playgroup

We have spent the past two weeks cooped up at home becuase of the heat etc. We've been desparately waiting for school to start (not till 9/8) and finally we were able to go to playgroup on Friday. We went to the farm and the kids had a great time. There were a few other moms there so it was just right! We even got to go on a wagon ride (behind a stinky tractor) which Noah LOVED and talked about non-stop afterward. We stayed until the weather warmed up to an intollerable 95 degrees and then went home and had lunch. Fun fun:)

New Knits for fall

After a particularly monstrous day with the kids I sat down and knit these little pants up. I was in the perfect mood to knit the little monster pants! The project is one that I've been contemplating for a while now and so when I sat down to do it, it moved really quickly. Then, after they were finished, I realized that my color choices were kind of halloweeny....not sure what to do with them now since I'm not due until November 15th...I haven't decided if I'll keep them or not. I almost used dark brown instead of black, I even hesitated 1/2 way through but then kept going with them. I didn't even think about the black/orange combo until I got past the mouth and noticed it was looking like a jack-o-lantern! Oh well.

So, since we've been home (one week) we have basically turned our house upside down! First of all, we came home to a broken fridge. We had purchased it second hand when we remodeled our kitchen. We always said that since we spent so little on it we wouldn't be out anything if it broke down. It still stings though when it happens unexpectedly! After spending a couple of days hunting for a new one (those are expensive!! Yikes!) Mark finally had the bright idea to check the fan out and see if it was working...he ended up buying a new moter for the fan and voila! It works now! I can't tell you what a blessing it is to have a handy husband!! He is willing to dig in and do whatever needs to be done.

So, after that, we decided to move all of our bedrooms downstairs and Mark's office and my craft room upstairs. So before we even unpacked we totally flipped our house around. We are still recovering from it. It's given me a great chance to weed out things that we need to get rid of, and it means that we won't have to put three kids in one room, yay! We'll actually have a nursery this way. Hopefully we won't all freeze this winter with our bedrooms down in our frigid basement...

Then, as if all this adventure wasn't enough for a couple of days, we decided to buy a little tent trailer! We've been thinking about this for a long time and after camping this summer a few times in our tent we decided it was a good time to get one. With another kiddo on the way it will be so nice to have something that will fit our family and allow us to escape to the mountains. Mark is especially excited becuase this means that I might actually come with him this hunting season! It's a perfect little trailer for us, we even bought it from a family of 5 and their kids have just grown out of it. They were excited to sell it to us too! While we were looking at it at their house, the oldest boy from their family caught this HUGE grasshopper for Jack...

We are starting back up again this next week. It's hard to believe another fall is upon us! This will be our 6th year here. We've seen so many changes here and made it a home. I can't wait to see what God is going to do this year!

After our Lifelines project ended in Estes Park, we headed to Ft. Collins for a 10 day conference with about 5,000 other staff members from around the U.S. It was hard for us to spend 10 days in a hotel after being gone for so long already so Mark ended up taking the kids swimming each day to keep them occupied. It's always an amazing feeling though, to see 5,000 other people in the same spot for the same purpose, singing together etc. I love that part of it! And we always get to hear some great teaching and connect with friends that we only get to see every two years because of this conference. One of the funnest parts of the time was watching the new staff walk across the stage after they completed their new staff training time. There was a huge crowd of them (I think over 200!) and to think that they are just following God's call in their lives is so fun to witness!

While we were in Estes this summer I signed the boys up for swim lessons. Jack did a wonderful job and just hopped right into the pool and did what they asked him to do. Noah on the other hand, screamed and cried almost the whole time. He did alright as long as I or their babysitter Katie was in the water with him. As a reward at the end of the lessons they both got a pair of goggles. Jack picked the killer wales and Noah picked out the crabs. Pretty cute.

The end of Summer Project

So, the end of summer project has come and gone. We had such a great summer this time! The students and staff were both so engaged and we saw some incredible growth in everyone who participated. I can't believe that I was dragging my feet to leave home at the beginning of the summer! I always end the summer amazed at what God can do in such a short amount of time and so thankful for the opportunity to do this for a living. This is a picture of our whole summer project this year right outside of our lodge.

Our amazing view

This is the view from where we are staying. It's pretty unbeatable! Mark was fly fishing in the lake right out our front door. I have no idea where the mist came from, but it was cool enough to get me out with my camera!

The other night when we were driving home this huge elk was just sitting in the meadow in front of Long's Peak. Pretty amazing sight! This was only a few hundred yards from our lodge.

Climbing Programs

So, this summer Mark and I have coached the 'climbing' team. Mark has taken the lead as the climbing guru for our project (he's the only one certified this summer) and I have gotten to be a belay slave:) It's been so fun to watch our students grow in so many ways. Each week we'd take them out and do programs that our other staff members wrote for climbing. I love this project becuase we get to see people actually change over such a short period of time. I have total confidence that they will leave here changed and more mature in their walk with the Lord. The growth has been really apparent this summer and I love to hear their deeper understanding of who they are in Christ coming out in discussions like the one pictured.

Have you ever seen such a pear shaped climber? My harness has fit sideways all summer long...it just doesn't lay right. Pretty funny looking:)

So, the kids have been involved in a number of things while we've been here. Jack has had soccer, pirate camp, and now swim lessons. Noah just plays at the playground while he's waiting. It's turned out to be a pretty good summer for them afterall! We've also done a fair bit of hiking and climbing as a family. Two of our hikes were fruitless searches for new climbing spots. It's funny how history has a way of repeating itself...for some reason I don't learn my lesson and I keep going on these 'adventures'. The second time I finally decided to read the directions from the climbing book myself once we got about a mile into the hike (I had been told that it would only be about 200 yards total)...it turned out to be a 2 mile hike with a 1/2 mile scramble to the base of the summit. That didn't sound like fun with my two kids and a bunch of other people in tow...so we turned around and just went out to coffee. A much better option:)

Finally, a post for this summer!

Ok, so we've been here for almost 6 weeks now...and I'm finally getting around to posting on our blog:) So far, we've had an adventurous summer. We had our last outreach today and invited people in the community to rock climb for free. It's so fun to be able to offer something like this to people that they can't do on their own. It's been a fun summer and I've been able to participate in almost everything. I was only about 4 1/2 mos. along when we went backpacking, still big enough around that I had to improvise and wear some of Mark's pants part of the time. They don't really sell outdoor maternity clothing anywhere that I know of. The backpack was ok, it just sat low around my wide waist.