What's Up Life...

Exactly... right?
Here comes a new and improved Blog for you all! It's literally been forever since I last wrote, no I am serious we are talking 15 whole months!! Life gets crazy sometimes and to be quite honest life is crazy ALL the time these days around our house. So I thought what better way to relaunch this blog than with a new name that really fits this season of our life! "What's up Life"... I really wanted a name that could represent all the "stuff" that we have going on, all the activities the kids are involved in, what the husband and I are up to, and so much more.

Yes, the last 15 months have been pretty crazy, and if you don't follow me on social media then I'm sure all the updates will start making sense soon. I really did miss my little blog and my readers during my break and I thought about things I could blog about often. It was simply a matter of finding time to sit and write. I've always loved writing and it has been a way for me to connect with others so for 2019 I'm bringing it back. I've learned from the past and my time away that it really doesn't matter how often I blog, what matters is that I make a connection when I do. I hope that you will find the same blog you remember from before with just a bit more fun and laughs.

Now for a quick update...
All the happenings in 2018
-We went north for Christmas (2017) and we all came back sick! It took us nearly the entire rest of winter break to get back to feeling better.
-The twins finished up VPK and moved up a level in Gymnastics, and of course started kindergarten in the fall
-Madison was involved with Odyssey of the Mind and her team won at the county level and went to states, they didn't win but it was a fun experience for us all
-Curt (the husband) coached several soccer teams and had a blast. The kids he coached really loved him and our kids loved to watch the games and eat all the snacks from their Aunt Bridget
-Kendal finished up her first year of cheerleading and rolled right into her 8th grade year of cheer.
-Parker really grew a lot during 2018, she found her voice and her words and there has been no stopping her since!
-We went to New Mexico in May to visit with my side of the family. My nephew graduated from high school and we all came from different parts of the country to celebrate
- I am continuing to coach my health and fitness groups and have started substitute teaching, it has been on of the biggest blessings for my personal growth
-WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!! Yes, in May we finally bought a house in Florida! What we thought might not happen until the end of the year came much quicker thanks to our amazing realtor and our willingness to take a leap!


So of course there's probably so much more I could share but that is the quick version! I can't wait to share more the life we've been living with the seven of us. we have many adventures planned for this year and it's going to be amazing!

Welcome back friends... I am so glad you're here!

Family, Friends, and the Fourth

We had a great fourth of July, spending it with friends who are like family and family who is well... family. Some of the kids are in New York so we were missing them for sure but none the less we had a very relaxing long weekend. So much so that I only snapped a few photos the whole weekend. As much as I love to capture photos of my family sometimes it is nice to put the phone down and enjoy the moments. 

Sunday we lounged around the house for the better part of the morning and afternoon until it was time to prep for our cook out with friends. Since our friends put a pool in we have had several get togethers at their place... we always try to do our part by bringing some food along! The 4th of July was yet another great reason to have a pool party! We grilled, we swam, we ate, and we swam some more oh then we ate again. The twins were a little sick from a cold they had gotten earlier in the week so we headed home and straight to bed. Around that time hubby said he wasn't feeling too well either. 

Monday came and hubby was in fact sick so we were in for another day of relaxing and doing nothing... which was just fine with me.

All though we didn't partake in any "real" independence day activities we enjoyed the weekend as a family and got in some much needed rest and relaxation. Some holidays are busy and others are spent doing nothing, either way the meaning behind the holiday is never lost so here is to America's Independence.. Happy "late" 4th of July everyone!

Summer!

It's summer!! And we are ready for it! Usually, I find myself wondering what the heck I'm going to do with the kids all summer long but for some reason (A new baby) I'm not worried this year. It's been a fun, busy, and crazy school year for Kendal and Madison and that also means the same for the twins. School drop off and pick up, projects, concerts, after school activities, forgotten lunches, early pickups, and a whole lot more made us one busy family. But now that summer is here I'm looking forward to slower mornings (Maybe even some sleeping in), long afternoons at the pool, park dates, lunch outside, evening walks, and a whole lot more.

Since Paker joined our crew I've longed for the big girls to be home for all of the reasons mentioned above and of course to have some more hands to help with the twins. It's only been a week since school let out and we've accomplished much on our summer list.

In a few days Kendal heads to upstate New York (where the majority of our family lives and the hubby and I grew up) to spend a few weeks with the in-laws. In a few weeks the rest of the family will head to New York for my sister's wedding! It is sure to be an adventure driving from Florida with two nearly 3 year olds and a 4 month old! Throw in some hometown eats and the county fair and it's sure to be a fun time for us all. Not too mention a lot of my family still hasn't met Parker!

Giving the kids lots of activities to fill their days so that we don't hear "I'm bored" multiple times a day is always a challenge but with five kids we should be able to manage! So here's to summer and all the fun adventures that await!

Summer 2015

Thirty Four Weeks

How Far Along - 33/34 weeks
I'm just going with the "double week" dating system at this point.. the number of weeks doesn't change the fact that she will be here in 3 weeks!

Total Weight Gain - 23 pounds - The doctors office got a new fancy digital scale last week so maybe it's more accurate than the old style slide scale... we will see at my appointments this coming week!

Maternity Clothes - Every time I walk into my to find something to wear (most likely one of my 5 gray maternity shirts) I see my "non-maternity" tops and I find myself asking "could I fit in those" haha no way but listen after a while you just want something different! I know this belly has really gained some circumference over the last weeks because my favorite tank tops are starting to no longer cover "all" of my belly... but I'm gonna make it work... because hey they are my favorite!

Sleep - Soon to come a post about (re)sleep training toddlers after you move and put them in beds... If that tells you anything about how my sleep has been! I just keep reminding myself that baby girl will be her in 3 weeks so I have 3 weeks to get the twins on a good sleep schedule AND sleeping through the night again. There is progress so I am hopeful I can maybe have a week before she arrives of something that resembles sleep. when I do get a chance to sleep uninterrupted by the twins I am sleeping pretty well. Eventually, my hips start hurting and indigestion sets in and by that time the twins are usually in bed with us... So it is what it is at this point!

Miss anything? Getting out of bed without feeling all the muscles pulling in my belly and walking from the bed to the bathroom without being out of breath! I love hearing other say I sound like I just ran a mile when they talk to me on the phone... I want to say "why yes I did just run mile, thank you very much". Baby girl certainly loves to have her little booty pushing right up under my ribs... I am however thankful that it's not her foot or elbow!

Cravings - Still pretty much hungry all the time and majorly craving anything sweet but finding chocolate gives me indigestion so I am kinda just doing what ever I want and dealing with the backlash as it happens. Hey I only have 3 weeks left might as well enjoy them!!

Symptoms - If you didn't notice yet... indigestion! I Remember how bad it got with the twins to the point where I was sleeping sitting up. I am feeling that time is rapidly approaching. Sometimes it gets to the point where I actually feel like I will be sick... so that is fun. I've also started to get some mild swelling in my hands and feet as the day progresses.

Looking forward to- March 15th?? Ok, so yes, when you get to the end of your pregnancy you start to feel like "I'm just ready" while I do feel that way I am conscious of that fact that if not for the Cholestasis I would still have 5-6 weeks left. Even though the thought of meeting this new little girl is on my mind daily I am also trying to cherish every single movement and moment I have left with her all to myself... and maybe trying to commit all of it memory... we never know what the future holds. My sister in-law and good friend are throwing me a little baby sprinkle this weekend... I can't wait to spend some time with my friends and family.

A Family Strengthened

There are seasons in life that last a few years, a few days, or maybe a few months. Each season is different maybe they are difficult and we don't quite understand why we are there. The past three months have been a season of growth, change, and learning for our family. We've been staying with family while we looked for a house to rent, it's never easy to have to rely on others because of your personal situations. But my husband's sister and her family were kind enough to offer us a place to stay during this time. It's not like we have a small family either... hello family of 6... but we all made it work. I talked about how this transition has been for our family and just what it called on us to do.


Now that this season is coming to an end I have been doing a lot of reflecting on our journey how we got here, what we've learned, and how it has strengthened our family. Like most seasons in life we can say we are some how different once that season has passed. I think this statement is true for my family in a lot of ways. It can be so easy to question why we are where we are when times are difficult. It can also be easy to think things are never going to change or "we" are never going to change. But what we don't see is the change happening each day the little bits of ourselves that are growing and learning. I think there is a reas
on we can look back after a difficult or challenging season and wonder how we made it but at the same time feel grateful we did. We can then somehow see that we did change and what we once didn't understand about our situation is now clear.

As I sit here I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense gratitude towards the unknown.. of course it's only unknown to us. I have long believed that there is a path laid out for each of us meant to challenge us, grow us, and generally prepare us for our next stop on the path. I am also grateful for the faithfulness of those around us, times are not always easy and they don't always reveal the best in all of us. Without the love and support of those we rely on the most the challenges seem much more difficult. As a family we are ready to make the next stop on our path and we are surely better individuals and a stronger family.

So here is to the unknown, the hard times, the good times, and the perfectly imperfectness of it all.

~Kristy

2015 Year in Review

Wow! What a year full of love, laughter, surprises, tears, and big changes. We traveled, spent time with family, and bonded as a family of six. Here's a little look back at all the fun we had...

January

Hubby went away for two weeks (day one of eleven) and we survived just mama and the 4 girls...

February the twins turned one and half and were far from the babies we once knew 

And we had some family photos taken...

March was a lot of family time with my mom visiting, the Maroon 5 concert with my sister in-law, Kendal's Odyssey of the mind competition, and a day date with Madison.

April - we celebrated Madison's 9th Birthday

We had our first camping adventure 

I went to PA to visit my sister to help celebrate her new house, engagement, and pregnancy!

May started our potty training adventure at just 21 months we took the leap with the 3 day method.. we can't say we are 100% trained at this point but we are close...

June started summer break lots of fun with all the girls

A trip to urgent care for Charlotte's smashed toe

July I was able to capture the birth of my good friends first daughter 

We headed north for a two week vacation to PA, NY, and DC to spend some quality time with Family.

August is a big month for Birthday's in our Family - aside from Kendal and the Twins my niece also celebrates her birthday!

Kendal Turned 11!

And the Twins turned 2!

September was the month to announce baby five was on the way! 

I was able to write a guest blog post for Twin Talk Blog and shared it with you all... do you want more?

Then we announced and shared our Journey to baby five

We had to say good-bye to our first family dog Rocky

And I started my first bump date at 11 weeks! 

October we struggled with two Toddlers that didn't like to get ready to leave the house

We announced the gender of baby number 5

My sister welcomed her first baby, a girl and I became an aunt again!

November we celebrated Thanksgiving with family and friends and we lost the pacifiers

December was all about the Holidays and family time...

Christmas and Disney World

The year flew by and looking back on all these memories I can't help but picture a new little sister in the mix. The last 2 years as a family of 6 have been wonderful with so many memories made I know the next years of our lives are only going to get better. But first up.. 2016 and we're ready for it!

2014 Year in Review