welcome home!

Stout Kids- Fall 2008 (Gma Stout made the girls' outfits)

Mason Samuel- 15 months

Morgan May- 5 1/2 years (Pre-Kdgn)

Madison Rae- 7 years (2nd grade)

It has been about 6 months or so since I have posted a blog and so here goes.....

The pictures above are from Target. I had them taken last month instead of buying their school pics....it was a much cheaper option to go to Target and I believe I received better quality photos! :)



I cannot believe it is October! last weekend we did some winterizing around the house and some yard work. It was a beautiful 70 degree Saturday. Tim and his dad did most of the outdoor work, while I made two soups and did some cleaning inside.



Here is an update on the kiddos....



Madison is doing well in school and so far no troubles (still reviewing from last year) and we are working on math facts on tues, wed & thursdays after school. I have taught her some touch math to help, but now we are working with some of the larger facts (I.e 7+9, 8+9, etc...) and those are taking a little bit more work. I try to help her start with the double and count on from there, what fact does she know that might be a neighbor and help her (I.e... 9+6 is 15 so 9+7=16) and then we are working on rote memory. Everyday Madison comes home from school, grabs a quick snack, uses the bathroom and is back outside riding her bike and playing with the neighbor kiddos! She is sooooo SOCIAL! She loves reading chapter books like Junie B. Jones, Little House on the Prairie, the American Girl Series, and anything about animals.

Morgan seems to be enjoy the Pre-kindergarten program at G-view ...she is still sad b/c a majority of her friends are in kdgn and she misses them and she is working on making new friends. So far academics seem to be okay, but conferences are in a month so we'll know more then....please pray for wisdom there. Morgan asks constantly to only go 1/2 day to school or stay home b/c hmmmm.?????I am not sure why, but once she gets to school she does okay! Tim says she bounds right into the room. Is she bored? Is she too tired and do we need to scale back a bit? Hmmm...all things we are discussing. Morgan's asthma is flaring up a bit these days with harvest time and other things in the air....we have been trying to do one or two treatments a day...to help with this. Also last week she had ANOTHER ear infection sooo after the first of the year (after the new flex plan restarts!) we may see the ear doctor! Other than that, she is still very into horses, music (always giving mini-concerts to a sold-out crowd in her bedroom in front of her mirror...so cute), hanging out with her sister, learning to do "fix-it" jobs with Grandpa Stout and Daddy.


Mason is moving like a mad man. He cut his fourth molar a few weeks ago and now we are working on his eye teeth. Overall he has 12 teeth. He is sleeping 8-9 hours at night before waking up to nurse nad then he nurses late afternoon and at bedtime. He eat eats anything and everything minus citrus and PB. He love black beans and rice, chicken nuggets, cheese, green beans (whole ones) and we have started introducing a spoon and spork to him! He chatters like CRAZY, but Still no Momma! However, he says: truck, blanket, shoes, juice (aka milk), woof-woof, stop, thanks, plz, sissie, dada, granpa, eyes, nose, & ears. He signs "more" now! mason is quite the little ham...everywhere we go he gets attention...random strangers look at those eyelashes and MELT! So cute.

Overall, Tim and I are doing well. Work is slow for Timmy, but this month has some good momentum so far and we are praying for GOAL like no other. Things are getting pretty tight and we are scaling it way back...no eating out, using as little gas as possible (however, gas is below $2.35 a gallon now...HOORAY!) We are rejoicing that subbing is picking up a bit...I had 3 1/2 days in the last two weeks and maybe more to come! It's just nice right now to help PAY the bills. We need even more to be able to get ahead on the G-view bill or I may be homeschooling or sending our kids to public school next year...that's a bit of a fear for me....but GOD knows our needs and he will give me the strength for whatever option is BEST at the time! I just have to trust and take each day and then let HIM take care of the future!



Okay- the laundry folding awaits! Toodles to all!

details!

....I am busy balancing my new schedule. I am in Ankeny 2-3 days a week to babysit for friend's kids....I work from about 9-2:30 and then head back to home and pick up the girls and do the Mommy thing here!

Also, we have been very busy with our college kids....2 weeks ago we were in Chicago for Moody Founder's week. We enjoyed seeing some sights and hearing Tony Evans and Josh McDowell speak! and last week we had a Valentine's Day dinner at our home. It has been a BLAST to get to know them and serve them. Riding the El/ Easting at Portillo's

Tim comparing himself to Michael Jordan

Tim has had a busy week this week too....after work he has had something almost every night...Monday he was home, tuesday he went to the Drake b-ball game, last night he had college leadership meeting 9he got home about 7:30, put the girls to bed and left and was home about 10...but I was OUT!), and tonight we have Ethos (the college ministry mtg) @ church. THe kids are missing him quite a bit, but we have a few fun things planned for the weekend...we might take them to RECESS tomorrow afternoon after Tim's done with work! Saturday Tim and I have eye appts in the morning and then we head to Gma & Gpa Stout's for a while to hang out and then Tim has a b-ball game at 4:00 and then home,,,,Masona nd I may skip theb-ball game just come home and get some laundry done....if I don't get much done today!

The kids are good...still fighting some colds. Morgan's preschool teacher was diagnosed with Influenza A yesterday and so I am watching that VERY CAREFULLY!

Mason is a chatterbox, "daddadadadddadada, daddy!" ARGH! Everytime he starts that I say. " MAMAMAMAMAMMAMA!!!!" He loves to play with his toys and chat away to himself and sometimes I put a mirrr in front of him and he will then chatter more loudly and rapidly! SO CUTE! He is still nursing every 4 hours and eating 3 little meals a day.

Madison is doing very well in school! She is still working on her facts, but we are just continuing to press on! She is very sociable and very compassionate! She is always concerned about her friends who are sick or hurting!

Morgan is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her glasses...They should be here in the next few days! She has about 20/80 vision and stigmatisms in both eyes...basically she sees completely blurry...poor thing, bless her heart! We took her to the eye doctor b/c school had done a vision screening...thank the LOrd! We were planning on taking her for her first visit before Kindergarten anyway! This may explain a lot about Morgan's personailty! She handled getting glasses great! Her only request was that they would be BARBIE glasses! and so they are a turquoisey-blue colored frame, she looks adorable and they totally bring out the blue in her eyes! Praise the Lord for our tax return and our FLEX account to cover the cost of her lenses and frames! It will interesting to teach her about caring for them...Tim and I plan to chat about that tomorrow so we have a plan of attack and a special place for her to put them at night when she goes to bed! I think she will do well, and her new glasses toatlly fit her SPUNKY personality!

Okay- now to brag on the hubby! He is GROWING so fast! J/k! He is doing well at work...he just got a 6% raise...PRAISE THE LORD! and yesterday his district manager pulled him aside and told him that in the next few months he will be on the "fast-trac" to becoming a branch manager b/c they know he will be GREAT at it! So in the next few months, when an area branch manager is out of town for 5 days, Tim will go in and be the acting manager. This will be tough b/c hew could be anywhere in Iowa...for 5 whole days! Oh well, maybe we will just live in Mmm and Dad Stout's basement for part of the time or maybe it will be summer and we can head to MN to see my family! Extra hands is the key! Anyway...I am SOOOOOO excited to see Tim's hard work paying off....and he is an amazing man...confident, bold and focused these days....it is soooo neat to see him have success in providing for our family! God is really bringing him along...and it is wonderful to see!

Well- now that this is a book, and it's time to get back to mommyhood!

updated family pics....

Madison's Baptism...Tim was able to participate in the event...it was very awesome...and they wore matching Hawkeye t's......Tim's doing

The girls in the hats and scarves made by Gma Stout

Madison, Mason and Morgan in their new PJs on Christmas Morning 2007

My parents came to spend Christmas with us and Morgan was not happy about picstures before presents.

Mason and his favorite toys, his toes!

way tooo long!!!!!!!!

I know this post is long overdue, but here goes.....

Thanksgiving: Went to MN to see the Shogren family. We stayed with Phil, Heather, Zak and their soon-to-arrive (in may) little lady. Amanda, Dan, Dheaven, Mom and Dad Shogren and all of us played games, hung out, ate a ton...yummy soupd and lasagna, breads, etc....

CHRISTMAS: We stayed in Iowa. Went to Christmas Eve service at Grace Church and came back to our home and got ready for Santa. Christmas morning we opened presents. The girls got Barbie's, High School Musical 2 Dolls, coloring books and crayons & pjs. Mason got Pjs, socks, a few new toys and sippy cups and bowls. After that we headed to gma nad Gpa Stout's in Ankeny nad opened presents. Morgan got a horse stable, Madison got a veterinarian kit, and Mason got some new little toys, Also Mom STout crocheted hats and scarves for the girls....awesome! We ate dinner and then Dan and Amy came up with Kylie and she opeened her presents...she was a little interested in presents, but what can you say, she is not even 2 yet!

NEW YEAR: We had the coolege kids over for the night. We had appetizer and desserts. We played Guitar Hero, Presidents/ Vice President (couch game) and chatted until the ball dropped. The girls stayed the night at Gma and Gpa Stout's house...they love going there.

NOW: two weeks ago was a bit rough.....Madison and I had the tummy flu, Tim had a tooth pulled, Morgan's hands were all chapped from all of the handwashing at school....and Mason is/was teething and fighting a cold. This past Wednesday I took the little bubba to the doctor and he hada double ear infection and STREP! Poor kid....he isn't sleeping or eating well....and he loves both of those things! He is really growing...he weighed 19. 12 lbs and was 27.5 inches at this check-up.

Other than all of that mishap...we are doing well... Tim is doing great at work...I am working 2 days a week watching the Boyds' kids up in Ankeny (gets me out of the house). the girls are busy with school. Madison is working on her +/- facts, learning about Jamestown and she loves reading! I cannot keep enough books in stock...thank the Lord for the LIBRARY!
Morgan is getting taller....she is outgrowing all of her pants in the length, but she is toooo skinny to move upa size, even with the adjustable waist! Poor thing. She is going to pre-K 3 days a week, all day. She likes taking her own lunch and playing "homework" when she gets home!

Besides his cold, Mason is teething, he is working on his top two teeth...the bottom two arrived a few days before Christmas. He is a rolling machine and I have to be careful of what's on the floor....he likes playing on his tummy and the rolling to his back to "scooth" to get something that is out his grasp.. Also, for a while each day I set a mirror in front of him (on the floor- he is either next tro it or in his exersaucer) and he jabbers away to his "friend." He's so vain!

Hopefully the pics will post....okay...Ican't that to work right now...so Stout pics will come later when I have more patience!

Pumpkins, Costumes, and FUN!

Last weekend we went to the Pumpkin Farm . The weather was gorgeous: sunny and 70 degrees with a good breeze to keep Tim's allergies at bay! It was our first full day outing as a family of 5 and we had a BLAST! Mason did great and the girls LOVED playing in the sun and hangin' out at the farm. We got to pick out pumpkins, ride a hay ride, play in the corn barn, ride trikes, pet goats, milk a pretend cow, eat sweet caramel apples and popcorn, and just enjoy a gorgeous fall day!

Now we are starting to plan and organize Halloween costumes. Morgan is going to be Snow White (she already has the play dress and so we'll put warm clothes underneath and put a red head band in her hair) and Madison wants to be Cinderella...I am going to try the consignment shops for a pretty dress and then hit Wal-Mart or the $1 store for a crown, gloves, etc.... Mason...I have no clue, maybe I'll find something while we are looking for Madison. Speaking of Mason....he is laughing like crazy these days. He loves it when Morgan & I sing songs ( Wiggles Cd, Christian songs, whatever) and he just laughs the whole time! It's soooo fun! Madison reads to him every night while I make dinner and he loves that too!He is also trying to sit up so we bought him a BUMBO (here a link for a pic.... http://bumboseat.com/ ) , so he can sit and play. He also sits at the dinner table with us now...that's a hoot! THis boy is sooooo interested in food...he stares at us and watches us so intently while we eat. We plan to start cereal or oatmeal next week. Hooray...more of a break for me....up until last week he was still eating every 2 hours, but now we have it stretched to 2 1/2- 3 hours...WA-HOO! He is sleeping about 7-8 hours straight at night (8:30 pm- 3:30-5am) and then he eats and goes back to sleep until about 7:00 am. What a good little man!

those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer....

Okay...the title of this Blog comes from Gilmore Girl Season 3 DVD that I have been watching in the evenings when I get some "down time." and that song "those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, " is still stuck in my head! :) Can you believe fall starts on Saturday?

Sorry, I haven't posted much lately, I am just busy being a mom and homemaker! Right now Mason is on a growth spurt and learning to go to sleep on his own. Morgan is still adjusting to having a baby brother....we have seen quite a bit of attitude, but we are workin' out the kinks to help her. Madison is enjoying school, although she did say she misses kindergarten. Also, last week she lost her two front teeth...the tooth fairy came and brought her $1 (for both teeth).

PRAISE! We got our new stove last Saturday! $150 and it has all of the same features as my old one! THANK YOU LORD!

Here are a few pics....

Back to School...HOORAY!

Okay, I have to admit that I love schedules, routines and SCHOOL! Madison went back to school, as a first grader, this past Monday and Morgan has started preschool ( M-W-F 8-11). We are back to the routine of school and early bed times! This week the girls and Mason have been alseep by 8:30 p.m. and so Tim and I have enjoyed some quiet evenings together!

We (our whole family) are excited for the football season to start...we love it! We love attending high school games on Friday nights, watching college ball on Saturdays (GO HAWKEYES) and then on Sundays we like cheering on various NFL teams and keeping track of our weekly picks in Tim's trusting notebook!

Here are a few pics from this week....

Madison- First Grade

Morgan- Preschool

Matching Cheetah Backpacks from Gma Shogren

Stout Family Pics (below): our family and then Tim's entire family

update...

Can you believe it is mid-August already??!! The CORN -dog days of summer are here... aka the good ol' steamy heat and the Iowa State fair! Also, the girls start school in a little over a week. Madison will be in first grade Morgan will attend preschool (age 4) three mornings a week. I can't believe school is here again...where did the summer go?

This next week we are on vacation...staying home...Tim's brother and his family will be here (@ Gma nad Gpa Stout's in Ankeny) for the week. FUN TIMES! The girls will love playing with their California cousins, Evan (3 1/2) and Sydnie (2), this week.

Well- that's all there is to report right now...I will leave you with a few pics I took yesterday!

it's getting better all the time

Life is in full swing! Like our friends, the Dykstras, we have made full use of our FLEX account this year! Praise the Lord we are all healthy (as of this moment in time) and adjusting to life as a family of 5!

Last Thursday Mason went to the doctor for his 2 week check-up and he weighed 9 lbs 5 oz and he was 20.5 inches long...by now I think he is almost 10 lbs...he's a little porker! HOORAY! He is a great baby....only cries when he is hungry or when you change his diaper! We are working our way back to full-time breastfeeding (after the break I took to pump while I had mastitis). I am still pumping a bit after each feeding so that we have enough breastmilk for the nighttime feedings...Tim takes the night shift...WHAT AN AMAZING HUBBY!and below is a picture of how I often find them in the morning....

Last weekend, My brother and his family came to visit. We spent Saturday at the zoo! It was sooo fun to watch the girls play with Zak (my nephew). Zak loved pushing around the girls' baby strollers...hmmm....maybe I'll get him one for his b-day in October! I'll try to find a blue one, I don't think his daddy would like his son pushing around a pink stroller! :)

Stouts at the zoo

Heather, Zak and Phil at the zoo

Are you serious????? mastitis and bed rest!

Well- things this week have been a little crazy... by Wednesday evening I was in the midst of full blown mastitis (fever, chills, sore and inflamed right breast)...I had to wait for Tim to get home from work so I could go to the doctor...not driving yet and I have 3 kids and myself to get out of the house........I tried calling the doctor having them prescribe something over the phone to my pharmacy, but they said they HAD to see me first...HELLO????...3rd baby, had this before, I think I know what it is...anyway saw doctor and went on antibiotic numero uno, doctor said no breastfeeding for 5 days, only pumping, and rest...how do I do that now that I 3 kids and a hubby....Thursday Timmy stayed home with me and the girls, went and got me a hospital-grade pump and I slept and pumped all day....as of Friday i was feeling better, but the right breast was still inflamed and very red....numero uno antibiotic wasn't working and so back to the doctor I went....drove myself this time.... (Gma Stout had already come and taken the girls to the park and on a picnic for most of the day)...got a new antibiotic....pumping was soooooo hurting on the right side and I was getting ZERO MILK....I was getting MUCHO emotional and MUY frustrated...as you can only imagine....called lactation lady at hospital (we had been conversing quite a bit up to this point and she knew all details) we went in for an appt today....she gave me a larger piece for pumping b/c my breast/nipple was so swollen and getting blistered from my current shield causing all of the pain on top of the infection pain....and she put my on bedrest for the weekend and she said if the breast didn't look better by Sunday (give #2 antibiotic 24-36 hours to work) then she wants me to go back to the doctor again....she doesn't want me to end up in the hospital on IVs or to have me form an abcess in the breast.... ahhhhhh! So now I pump/rest/nurse Mason the left when can and rest and watch Gilmore Girls DVDs.....Tima nd the girls have been great! Timmy is trying sooooooooo HARD to get the house stuff done, keep up with the girls, run errands, and play nurse to me......what a man! what a mighty good man! Praise the Lord for hiM! Mason is GREAT! He eats, sleeps and POOPS! He has been FABULOUS throughout this whole ordeal! PRAISE GOD!

well, time to get back to bed! Please pray fora speedy recoverY!

It's a boy!!!

Mason Samuel Stout
Born on Monday, July 2nd, 2007
@ 6:08 p.m.
8.25 oz and 20 inches long

Stout family- Party of Five

Mason- one week old

The waiting game.....

Well, our doctor's appt. went well this morning...dilated to almost 3 and still about 70-80% effaced....baby has dropped some....everything is ready and up to the Lord...SOOOOOOO.....now we wait....the latest we will wait is next Tuesday b/c that's when we will probably induce labor....HOORAY!

We are excited! The girls are beside themeselves- theny can't wait to hug and kiss their new baby brother or sister! I am feeling great....it's been hot and so if we have a busy day I am swelling a bit at night in my feet and hands...doctor said TO TAKE IT EASY....my blood pressure is creeping toward the high side, but that is VERY NORMAL for me at this stage of my pregnancy....everything else is GREAT!

Thanks for praying.
Jonna

Happy 6th Birthday, Madison!

Happy Birthday to my sweet, six-year-old, Madison! Wow, I cannot believe she is turning six!

What a sweetheart and true joy she is to be with and raise! She loves horses, reading and crafts!She is very tenderhearted about her friends and the things of the Lord. Last summer she placed her trust in Christ as her Savior and She has recently expressed a desire to be baptized and we are waiting until after the baby is born to schedule her big day of Obedience! Another party will be thrown!

Today is her b-day party day! We are having her first friend party from 1-3 p.m. and it's an Ice Cream theme! FUN! Tonight is Her family party this evening with G,a & Gpa Stout, Uncle Dan, Aunt Mia, Cousin Kylie, Uncle Martin and we are grilling hot dogs and having campfire to make S'mores....Madison LOVES to make s"mores and chat around the camp fire!

**THis all in one day b/c of the momma's condition. :) What a fun day it will be!

Now, we can start LABOR stuff anytime after 8:00 p.m.......HOORAY! The home stretch is here!!!!!!

**Well- I'm off to finish the final touches on her day...a trip to the grocery store is needed...delayed due to all of the rain we had yesterday, but praise the Lord it should dry out by tonight!

Father's day...We're ready...less than 2 weeks to go!

We enjoyed a wonderful Father's Day weekend here at the Stout house. Friday afternoon Tim took a half day off and we went to Ankeny to spend some time with Gma and Gpa Stout. We stopped by Target and picked out a new pack-n-play w/ bassinet and then we had a pizza dinner with the grandparents! FUN! That night Tim went to the races at the Fairgrounds with his dad, his brother and his friend. They had a blast! Saturday, we vegged (it was HOT!) and we just had a low-key day around home. The girls and Tim made a trip to get the oil changed on the van and Saturday night the girls went to church to play while we had a date night at home. We had grilled BBQ chicken, veggies and baked potatoes for dinner & watched Pretty In PInk...Long story...I am educating Tim on all of the GREAT 80s flicks he has missed out on. A few others on my list are Footloose, 16 Candles, The Breakfast Club, Mannequin, Dirty Dancing, etc... poor guy! Any suggestions are welcome! After our date we picked up the girls and went out for ice cream at Granny's- it's the BEST! Sunday we headed to church with dan and Amy at First Federated...the church was having a Father's Day Rally and a Car Show and it was fun! After the rally and touring the cars, we headed to Famous Dave's for a late lunch/ early supper! YUMMO! Home for naps and then ice cream again @ Granny's later that night!

Pregnancy- 2 weeks and counting. We are ready as we'll ever be...I guess....we still haven't purchased "going home" outfits but that's b/c we don't know how close this baby's arrival will be to the 4th of July....so we're waiting....maybe I'll just pick some things up this week! I am feeling okay...I am having a few contactions here and there (unlike with the girls), lots of back aches that come and go, days of tons of energy and days of exhaustion.....just normal pregnancy stuff...the baby is still a mover and shaker.... At my last appt. I had dropped a pound and that has been the case the past two weeks....hmmm???? ONly 2 weeks to go! Also, doc said I may be induced if I am 3 soon and/or we will schedule an induction in the next 2 weeks b/c of an office merger and they want to make sure I get a doctor that I know! GREAT! I am headed back to the doctortomorrow afternoon, I CAN'T WAIT, and they will check to see if anything is happening! HOORAY! The girls are sooooooo excited! Madison wants the baby to come on her b-day and Morgan says it's a brother, but always talkes about the baby using a she pronoun...FUNNY! Tim is READY and HE CANNOT WAIT to meet this baby....we are just PUMPED! However, I am not pumped about the post-prego body issues that will soon approach! YUCKO!

Well- time to get back to the girls! We are expecting rain today and so we have inside things planned: painting, reading, movies, play, etc.... Hopefully the rain will cool things off around here and my garden and flowers sure could use a good soaking!

3 weeks and 2 days to go.....

HOORAY! It's almost time to meet our newest family member! We visited the doctor earlier this week for our 36 week check-up and and everything is looking great! Heart rate of baby was 140 and we are good to go whenever! The doctor did encourage us that babies 3-4 tend to come quickly and so a few false trips are better than having the Baby at the Burger King by the fairgrounds! (the doctor knows where we live and so his reference was pretty funny!) Also, my doctors have merged with another office and so if I am dilated to 3 by week 38 or 39 they will induce early so that I will have one of my regular docs rather than any of the new ones...just so I will feel more comfortable! I'm HOPING! Sometimes, I can't imagine waiting until the beginning of July, but other than the usual energy swings (lots to none) and body aches I am feeling great! NO weird labor dreams, YET!

The girls are enjoying summer...this week they are attending VBS with Gma nad Gpa Stout. Tonight is there last night of VBS...I am going to miss it! It's been nice to have a few mini-dates with my hubby while the girls are gone. (vbs runs from 6:30 until 8:45 p.m.) Our church's VBS is at the end of the month and so we will enjoy that too!

Work is going great for Tim! He is already at goal for June and so his schedule is pretty free for the baby to arrive! He is taking the next few Friday afternoons off just to give me a break! HOORAY!

Okay- pretty boring- YES! We will keep you all posted on Baby Progress....please pray that he/she comes soon!

Happy Anniversary???? and SUMMER life....

Tuesday, May 29th was our 8th wedding anniversary and it was a VERY interesting day...Before I begin this story please remember I am 35 weeks pregnant...It was Tuesday ama nd Tim was already gone to work and I decided to make the girls some breakfast (eggs & hashbrowns) b/c we were out of most of our groceries and b/c I thought it might be nice for them to have something besides cereal, toast or a frozen waffle. As I grabbed my Pampered Chef batter bowl from the dishrack, sitting on the counter next to my stove, I dropped it (pregnancy droppsy) and it landed on my ceramic cooktop and made a spider web crack in the cooktop....UGGGHHHHHHH! I tried to keep it together and madea few calls around town to ask what to do and ALL said it would cost MUCHO DINERO to get it fixed...so here we are one month from having a new babya nd we have a CRACKED cooktop! I began to BALL and BALL! I called Tim at work and he said we should just RELAX and pray about it....UGGGHHHH...looking back he handled me so well, but I just wanted him to get MAD at GOD with me! Anyway.....we made it througfh the day, many tears later, and we still have a broken cooktop. We praise GOD that the batter bowl did not land on me or my protruding tummy, the oven still works, we have a microwave that works, and it's summer so we can grill like mad! Also, yesterdayGod gave me the following idea and so I went out and bought an electric skillet so we can do some cooking indoors. We are planning to save $$ for a while and shop around for what what we might want in a new stove...NO GLASS TOP for sure. However, 2 days later and I am feeling okay with my broken cook-top...there are worse things in this world and my problem is soooo MINOR, but I thank the LORD that HE never misses a beat and HE KNOWS what we need and he provides for those needs! What an anniversary! When Tim got home from work about 8:00- I went straight to bed b/c I was WIPED out! We didn't even exchange cards! However, the story doesn't end there...GMA and GPA Stouta re taking the girls overnight this Friday so we can celebrate our anniversary then! HOORAY!





Summer is here and we are enjoying the freedom of the schedule. We all sleep in until 7:30-8:00 and PLAY ALL DAY! We have had haircuts, been to the library, to several parks, on a picnic, garage saleing, 3 greenhouses (the girls love to look at plants, my dad would be soooo proud!), Uncle Dan's softball games, and we are now waiting for warmer days so we can hit the pool a few afternoons a week.





Only 4 and a half weeks until the baby comes...I did find a few boy things last week and now we are looking for a few girl things. I have a HUGE list of things to get at Target for the hospital and post-delivery for me and the munchkin. Saturday, is work day at the Stout house and we are fixing the gate to the backyard, doing some yard work, and a few indoor projects too! HOORAY!





That's it from here...I leave a few pics from our recent happenings....

Madison and her teacher, Mrs. Behrens @
Kindergarten Graduation

Morgan and Madison at Kdgn Graduation

Mother's Day

Here are a few pics of our "growing" family yesterday, Mother's Day. We went to church in the morning and then headed to Ankeny to have lunch with Mom and Papa Stout, where we took the following pics. Tim and the girls gave me 2 poems, a CD, & a trip to Panera after church for bagels and coffee, and they TOTALLY cleaned & detailed the van last Saturday (it looks AMAZING!). What a spoiled Momma am I????!!!

Also, there are a few pics of my rapidly growing belly! 7 WEEKS TO GO! WOW! We cannot wait to meet our newest little blessing!

The Stout family

Momma and the girls

Tim, Jonna and Baby #3??? @ 33 weeks of pregnancy

A loose tooth....now belongs to the Tooth fairy.

Well, today we experienced a first in the Stout house...a LOOSE tooth that will become Tooth fairy property! Madison lost her first tooth today- WOW!

here are a few pics...

Happy 4th Birthday, Morgan! & Happy Easter!

This weekend was a busy one, we celebrated Morgan's birthday on Saturday (her real b-day date) and Easter on Sunday. Other than the chilly (okay windy and freezing) weather which put a damper on some of our plans, we had a great weekend. On Saturday, we enjoyed a pancake and egg breakfast in the morning and a pizza party,cake and present time in the evening with Uncle Dan, Aunt Amy and cousin Kylie. Grandma and Grandpa Stout couldn't make b/c they had to go out of town for a funeral. Grandpa Stout's brother, Tim's Uncle, Bernard, passed away last week and the funeral was in Ohio. On Sunday, we went to church, came home hid Easter eggs inside, and had a lovely ham dinner with mashed potatoes, corn and leftover b-day cake for dessert! After lunch we all crashed and took really good naps, watched Zach Johnson (an Iowa boy) win the Master's (big golf tourney, I graded papers for school, and then we took a quick trip to Hy-Vee for a few things. While we were there, we saw eight deer come out the woods looking lost and hungry! The girls loved watching them and they could've stayed watching them ALL NIGHT!

Today, it was back to school and 28 weeks of pregnancy! We are in the hoem stretch...aka the third trimester! HOORAY! We can't wait to meet our little one and find out if he/she is a he or a she! We are soooo excited! We had our check-up last Friday (went well and the shot went great...I wasn't even sore :))and his/her heart rate was 135...a lot slower than the girls who ran in the 150s to 160s most of the time.....HMMMMMM......could it really be a boy???? Either gender we will PRAISE GOD for this special addition to our family!

Here are a few pics from our celebrations....