Anxiously Awaiting Your Arrival

     Two weeks from yesterday is the due date. My nights have been fitful, waking every 2 hours until it leads to once every 1/2 hour until I give up altogether. I suppose this is due to the contractions I'm starting to feel...you know, those early contractions that don't necessarily mean labor is anytime soon, but enough to recognize and be frustrated with until you finally say "i've had it!" and just want it to be overwith altogether? The good thing is the "nesting" that has kicked in. It's been in an organizational way, probably because keeping things clean is out of the question with six kids home and a husband in and out of town, who, by the way, gave up on going this coming week. I think we are all too anxious about something happening to make ourselves too busy. 

                                                               uncomfortable and ready to pop!
     The Relief Society threw me an "open house" last Tuesday...which was really a baby shower, seeing as how there really is no difference since it was exactly the same, only no games. They snuck it in as an open house since I told them I didn't want a shower because I didn't want anyone to worry about giving gifts. Everyone was so generous last time, that I can't feel comfortable thinking that because I am having the 3rd baby in this ward everyone needs to be buying me something...yet again! They did anyhow, I guess I would do the same. The gifts were wonderful and even the children were excited about them. It has been fun preparing a little for our new treasure to come into this world. We are awaiting her beautiful presence and looking forward to holding her sweet new body.

                                                                  Loot from the "open house"
Ahhh, the joys of Motherhood. How rich, how fulfilling. How incredible and amazing! So, for now...we wait with much hope for the future and a force of patience. Here's to you, our soon to be new addition.
Love,

Mom

Adorable + Sweetness= Justin & Alyssa

What do you get when you combine adorable and sweetness? You get adorable Justin and sweet Alyssa, a wonderful brother and sister combonation! I've heard it said that after a few children, the tail ends are "bonuses". I have found this to be true! Bonuses are what they have been to me. Something that I have really enjoyed experiencing has been the relationship Alyssa and Justin have. Obviously we have not had experience with a boy/girl combination since all of them have been boy combinations. So to experience the sweetness of a big brother taking the hand of his adoring sister and walking together to play with a push toy, or dance, or come down the stairs together-has been one of true joy. There is something truly unique about relationships with siblings. A connection like no other.  I'm so grateful for the relationships I had with my own siblings and how I really charish them. I always wanted this for my own children. Each combonation have been the best of friends. I'm so thankful for the power of prayer and that this desire has come to pass in our own family!

Easter and Conference

Okay, since I'm expecting in 4 weeks it isn't possible for far travel. Despite this, Steve and I wanted Jeremy to have the chance to go to Utah for Conference weekend and have the experience of sitting in the Conference Center while listening to Heavenly Father's chosen servants speaking because his brothers each had the opportunity the year they each turned 8. Friday Steve picked up Tyler and Jeremy from school early and they were off in an hours' time. They were to enjoy the morning session, eat at the Lion House (a family favorite) and then Tyler and Steve would go with the rest of the Alger men to the priesthood session with their sons that are old enough and enjoy a dinner of pizza together afterward. Then they would enjoy the afternoon Sunday session at the Conf. Center as well. All went as planned. While the priesthood holders were enjoying Saturday night's session, Jeremy was able to spend some good quality time with his Grandma at the Aquarium. He had a blast! The next morning they found their Easter Baskets that I sent them up with, full of Easter fun goodies. After the Afternoon session, they enjoyed an Easter egg hunt and went to bed for a good nights sleep to leave at 4:30 a.m. to start home.

As the rest of us were at home, we enjoyed our regular conference and Easter traditions here. Starting Saturday with our usual Conference Belgian waffles (found on our Alger family recipes blog) and enjoying the first session then cleaning the house to prepare for Sunday. The afternoon session was the one I was able to listen to the most since Alyssa napped and the other young ones played quietly elsewhere as Bryon and I enjoyed the rich talks given and finished the night with dying Easter eggs.

 Sunday morning started with  Easter Basket and egg hunting fun and then a breakfast of hard boiled eggs (go figure), biscuits and gravy (boys' favorite) and bacon. The morning session was refreshing and a wonderful way to finish off the morning. Sneaking showers in between sessions and filling up our spiritual cups in the end with the afternoon session of Conference ourselves. We can readily say that we had a wonderful Easter/Conference weekend. How grateful I am for the Atonement and Resurrection of our dear Redeemer. It was neat to have the two big events of spring fall on the same weekend! What a blessing to hear the Lord's annointed on the beautiful day of Easter Sunday! How enriching, and fulfilling. I'm so thankful for family and the blessings that are ours because of the Love of a wonderful Father that blessed us with a Savior. For this, I am so thankful!

Girly Girl!

When I was expecting our first girl everyone told me she would decidedly be a tom-boy. I have been delighted as I've watched her grow and seen how she has delighted in the very girly girl things in life! She loves ribbons and bows, sparkles and glitz...anything pretty. When there is a choice, she picks the pinkest and most colorful girl things. She's in to make-up, dolls and shoes of all kinds. One of her first words was "bow".  I'm watching as she is losing that baby look and moving on to toddler. The boys are delighted as they say she is turning into more of a girl than ever. Sometimes I wonder if they delight more in this realization than even I do! My little girl...how little I knew as I was enjoying my darling boys all these many years, how much I did need a little girl. And now, the Lord is blessing me with two! How wonderful life continues to be. How blessed I am to feel the Joy given me through Motherhood!

Wearing her "fancey Nancey" slippers and sparkle jeans...

using Mom's make-up brushes she found in my vanity drawer!

Enjoying her brother Michael, who asked when Justin was just days old when we could have a baby girl.

Annual Dessert Auction

Every year for the past 3 or 4 years, the scouts have held an annual Spaghetti feed and Dessert Auction as a fundraiser for Scout camp. This year, the money was used for the Trek the ward is going on. This annual dinner was held last night and the boys were prepared. They came up with some fun ideas for cakes, to auction off. The following are the pictures of the boys with their "projects". It was a successful auction, I was really pleased with the boys and their impressive work!

Bryon's Uof O football cake. Didn't he do a great job!?! The first cake he ever did himself!

Tyler's muddy worm brownie dessert, also done on his own. If you have never had one of these, you have to make them for a child's party sometime, they are always a delight!

Jeremy and his hot dog cake...a little help from Mom!

St. Patrick's Day at Our House

Okay, so truthfully, I would probably surpass many holidays or special occassions if it weren't for my children! For this I am truly grateful for the excitement they bring into every occassion. For any of you that followed my blog last year, you know that we started new traditions for St. Patrick's day. The children came home claiming there was a leperchaun that pays visits to any house where someone puts clover under there pillows...they were right! Last year and this year we had one visit and leave a treat for them where the clover was tucked neatly and readily under their headrest. So, they started out the morning beaming as they entered the kitchen with their chocolatey gold treat and awaited their breakfast of green eggs and ham (the only time their mother makes it). Apparently festivities continued at school and thereafter here at home where they wanted to make sugar cookie cutouts of clover with fun sayings on them. They even carried a cat cage around with them hoping to capture some lucky leperchaun that might still be lurking about. For dinner we enjoyed a lasagna with garlic bread, green salad, lemon-lime kool-aid, lime jell-o, spinach, and pistachio pudding for dessert after which they headed out for Young Mens and Scouts. It was a fun day. Thank goodness for the excitement and bright hopes of wonderful children!

Green eggs and ham breakfast

Alyssa lends style to the occassion!

Michael and Justin contributed in the spirit of fun.

The children and their neighbor friend decorate and (eat) the sugar cookies.

Jeremy's festive table setting! Isn't he amazing?!!

Celebrations of Life!

Okay, so I am very bad at keeping up on blogging. It isn't that there aren't enough things going on in our family, actually quite contrary, which is probably why I am so bad about it! But this morning as I was cleaning the much neglected kitchen cabinets, I thought of all the many things we do in our lives that we don't share. There is so much to be grateful for! There has been a period of time that I just figured no one was reading or cared about our blog...but in the end, I have decided that it doesn't really matter. Does it? What matters is that we recognize our blessings and share them with those we love. So I'm starting to do that today. After all, it's somewhat like a scrapbook, wouldn't you say? I thought I'de start with Valentine's day. Here's to those we love!

                                                      The boys eating their Valentine cupcakes

Alyssa adding the sprinkles.

See the flowers behind her? For some reason I can't find the picture I took of them. They were my gift from Steve. I gave him a heart full of See's chocolates. Also I was unable to find the picture of the boys Valentines'. It is a tradition to make cards and give them away to one another. The morning of Valentine's day, the children look forward to going into the bathroom and finding a Valentine gift from Mom and Dad sitting on the counter with handmade cards for each one of them. What would life be without traditions? They are something we can count on and look forward to, don't you agree?