Beach, hike, baptism, party, Father's day

We have had a pretty fun filled long weekend!

Thursday was Ster's last work day of the week. Friday was a family day.
So Thursday when Ster came home from work we decided last minute to go to the beach in Lignano. We got ready to go to the beach and got into the car only to realize our gas coupons were no where. It seems they have been stolen out of our car AGAIN! We lock our car doors all the time. But somehow it must have been unlocked at night a few times and someone came and stole them. We know that people come and check the American's cars to steal stuff out of.
Maybe the kids push the unlock button on the car keychain and we don't know it sometimes.

Anyway, that's a lot of money lost. We pay for gas coupons and then use those to gas up. It makes gas cheaper than buying it straight off the economy. But you have to get the coupons at the BX on base and you only get a certain amount per month.

So we drove to the base and bought our coupons but now we are done. We can't get anymore before we move. So these CANNOT be stolen! And we can't drive and use them all up before the move.

So we headed off to the beach late. It would be dinner time when we got there. We were a little stressed to start. But when we got to Lignano we stopped at an Italian grocery store for sandwhich meat, cheese and bread...after failing to find a restaraunt that was open. They don't open until 7pm.

We made sandwiches at the beach and ate snacks. But the boys were much more into playing than eating! Ty had been asking to go to the beach for a few months! As soon as it started warming up.

Cute story...Ster and I were sitting on towels eating and watching the boys play. Ty had crossed a shallow water and was on a little isle between two bodies of water. He stepped into the water and then saw a crab. He said "Run away!" and started running. But he was too scared to go in any of the water so he ran around in one big circle and started crying! He ran so fast! He was terrified. It was sad but funny at the same time. Sterling went to his rescue.

Friday morning we went on a hike. Both boys walked and we went on a long hike! To encourage Tiberias to keep walking I told him "You need to walk like a big boy because when we have the baby you will be the big brother. You are not the baby anymore." And he did it! Both boys made it through the whole hike! Ster and I were impressed!
Then we went to the base and shopped.

We went home for lunch. I finished decorating a cake for a baptism/birthday. Kristina Christiansen, a girl in my primary class, was getting baptized that day. I made her a cake in her favorite color...rainbow! The cake itself was rainbow! Then I decorated it with fondant...a CTR shield, spring flowers and "Congratulations Kristina" written on it.

That afternoon I went to Kristina's baptism. I gave the talk on the Holy Ghost and her mother gave the talk on baptism. I was honored to be asked.

After the baptism we made homemade pizza as a family. After dinner we went to the Christiansen home for Kristina's birthday party. Their house is huge and awesome! Their yard is the same way.
There were few people at the baptism but tons at the party.

Saturday morning Sterling went jogging then we did pushups and situps. After that I was sick...pregnancy sickness. I will be SO surprised if it's not a girl! I wasn't sick with both boys but this time I am sick. I have a few days of being sick then a few days of feeling great then a few days of sick again. I am 7 weeks along.
Anyway, in the afternoon we went over to the Archuletta's house. They have a pool and two kids, Calvin and Penny. My boys LOVE going over there to swim!
Melanie, Joe, Ster and I ate cookies I made and drank cool water in the shade while the kids swam.

That evening Ster and I wanted to go on a date for dinner but we couldn't find a sitter because it was a four day weekend. So instead we took the kids with us to the Spaghetti House. It was a yummy dinner. We had fun!

Sunday, today, is Father's day. Sterling left early for church meetings as usual.
Once Sterling was gone we decorated in honor of Father's day. We had previously made two mobiles that hang from the ceiling...using cardboard circles, colored string, pinecones, beads, felt stars and planets, and photos of Sterling with the kids, or our family. I also had cut out tons of paper ties that the boys hung around the room. And I made a bunch of those ties to hang in a row as a banner that says "Happy Father's day."
Sterling has started a tradition this year...that when we have presents to give someone we hide them in the living room and make the receiver find them first. So we did that for Sterling this morning.

We went to church and met Sterling there. After church, at home, Sterling found his gifts. A framed "I love you Dad" picture of Luke that is a magnet he made at school, a tshirt I drew a car road and side house, tree, dog, etc. That way Ster can lay down and the boys can drive cars on his back...maybe it feels good.
The third gift is a new toothbrush...the vibrating kind he likes.

We had chicken and potatoes for a later lunch. I made chocolate chip cookies for dinner. Then we went on a walk as a family. On the walk Ster and I planned Luke's birthday party.
For Luke's 5th birthday party we are going to celebrate two days early. His birthday is on a Sunday. His party will be the 5th at 7pm. It's the heat of Summer so we'll do it at night. It's Independence day weekend but everyone has to work on Friday the 5th so his friends should be in town for the party.

We'll have it at Freedom park on base under the big pavilion. We'll find a kiddie pool to borrow, fill it up with the water spout there, and supply water balloons for the kids in the heat.  We'll supply ice cold water, ice cream (maybe ice cream sandwiches) for the parents and a Wreck It Ralph cake that is going to rock! We're moving so it'll be a "No need to bring a gift" party.And the very next week we'll be moving out of our house and into the military hotel (TLF).

This week we ship our car. We're borrowing a car from one of Ster's work buddies.

This Wednesday I am hosting Faith in God girls as I do every month. The girls are going to plan an activity for parents and children to do together in the ward. They'll pick the activity, details, date, place and time. They will also make their own digital flyers on my computer while snacking.
Then before I move away I will oversee the event. But my goal is for the girls' parents to get involved and do most of the work. It's a big thing to take on right before I move... hopefully it works out.

We are so excited about going back to America to spend time with family! And trying to enjoy Italy while we are still here...since we can't leave until July 15. If we could go sooner we would.

Early Stages of Pregnancy/Preparing for a crazy Summer-Fall

I am six weeks pregnant with my third child.
Sterling and I have been very blessed to have no pregnancy troubles and no problems getting pregnant. We have planned all three pregnancies. 

My first two pregnancies were easy. No sickness with Luke and only some nausea a little while when Pregnant with Ty.

Six weeks is not far at all and feeling sick usually happens the first trimester so  I think I have atleast another month and a half that I'm likely to get sick.
I felt sick a few days...a few weeks ago. And then I was fine for a while. Then today I've felt really nauseated. I have yet to ever actually throw up during a pregnancy though.

I really want a daughter this time and if that means being sick...so be it.

Tomorrow is my first OBGYN appointment. I think I am just seeing a nurse. Then the first week of July I will have my first appointment with a doctor about my pregnancy. Then I will move...mid July. We're going back to America.

I will be spending time in Logandale with my parents and time in Provo with Sterling's family all summer and fall.

This year we are going to follow the weather extremes. All Summer I will be in the heat of Provo and Vegas (of course, Vegas is much worse than Provo). Then in December we'll move to South Dakota just in time for Winter...terribly cold winter.

We have told nobody except our little boys that we are pregnant. We are waiting until July when we are with our families to tell the exciting news. It is so hard to keep it a secret! I don't talk to my family much but it is so hard not to tell my friends here in Italy!

We are so excited to have another baby! Me especially! I want a tiny baby and I can hardly wait! Nine months is such a long time. Yet, we planned the pregnancy so the baby would be born after we get settled into a new house in South Dakota. Sterling will be in Mississippi August-December this year and I don't want to have the baby without him.

We didn't want to have the baby while living in Italy. Pregnancy and newborn babies make it hard to travel.

It will definitely be a Summer feeling Summer this year. Even though Sterling won't be with us to have a wonderful fun Summer, Luke, Ty and I will go swimming a lot and play with friends. Eat pop sickles and ice cream.

We are going to get a pass to go to this cool new community center in Provo that has swimming and indoor playgrounds and a gym and more!

I just don't know where I am going to have a doctor. Nellis AFB in Vegas seems the best choice but then I will have to plan my visits to family based off of doctor appointments. I don't think I can have two doctors...two separate hospitals for this.

It will be an interesting four months!

I look forward to spending time with Autumn and Jacob and maybe Justin. Justin just graduated high school and I don't know what his plans are for the rest of this year. He has accomplished a lot in high school. He did multiple sports and even clubs I think. Plus, he's buff and a handsome boy. If he serves a mission and stays strong in the church he should be able to find an amazing and beautiful wife with ease.

I am SO EXCITED to spend time with Eliza and Alissa! Of course it's Eliza and Florencio....and Alissa, Justin and baby James!

I am so excited to see everyone! It is going to be an amazing Summer/Fall...I hope.  It will be hard not having Sterling there! He makes everything more fun. And it just isn't quite right if he's not there.

Plus, I will want to spend a lot of time with Zack and I wish Ster could as well...to get to know Zack better.

Tomorrow is Luke's last day of school. His second school year and it was a success just like the previous year.
It has been maybe 6 months that Luke has been stuttering and it's not getting better. I am worried about it.  Experts say not to let Luke know you are aware of the stuttering. Be patient, pay attention to him and don't point out that he's stuttering. We've done that so far...but when we go visit family we're going to have to tell everyone not to point it out and to be patient. And I'm worried kids will point it out to him and make him feel bad.

He will be starting Kindergarten late because we won't have a home until the end of the year atleast. Hopefully we'll have a home by Christmas!
I will homeschool him...it will give me more to do...until we move to South Dakota.  So he'll start Kindergarten half way in the school year.  However, he's already smart and passed the kids in his class in education. I'm teaching Luke to read.  He doesn't like to read books but he doesn't mind if I spell and word and have him read it to me. So that's what I do.
Like this; will                   fat                       cow
                 hill                   hat                      chow
                 mill                  mat                      now
                 bill                  splat                      how
 He has started writing on his own. He likes to make signs...write on paper and tape it up. If it's small words he can spell most of them but he asks me if he needs help. 
One major problem he has is Gg. He can never remember how to write a g. So we're working on that.  His teachers have suggested I help him by asking him "who, what, when, why, where" during stories. And to ask him what he thinks happened before or what will happen next?

By kindergarten Luke will be a reader. And I pray his stuttering will be gone!

Father's day is coming up! This week the boys and I will make decorations and cards. I cut out a bunch of paper ties (men's ties) to hang on a string or tape on the wall. We might put the letters to "Happy Father's Day" on the ties. We are going to make some signs that say things the boys love doing with their dad and things they love about him.

 We are moving soon so dad isn't getting much gift-wise. He is getting a new pair of running shoes...which Ster will pick out himself.
He is also getting a gag gift...a white tshirt with a drawn car track on the back. So he can lay on the floor and the boys will drive their cars around his back...maybe it will feel good.

I found another idea I would love to do but I don't have the resources here. It's a wall hanging tie rack. You hang your ties on it. Sterling has a lot of ties and he hangs them on hangers. They fall off and are never in the same spot.  But I can't find a wood rack with dowels coming out of it...here. If I had I would paint it and put the words "You tie us together" on it.  Maybe next June.  :)