Project

Sometime last week I decided I needed to have an Advent Calendar of some kind to do with Jade this year. She is old enough to start making these special memories and I realized it would be really fun for Jade and I to do every day in December. I went online and googled "Advent Calendar ideas" where I was given a million options. I was most inspired to try this one who got there idea from Martha Stewart kids.

After two different trips to Michaels I was finally able to gather enough mini paper mache boxes to start my project.
First I painted all the boxes (with two coats of a paint and one coat of sealant)
I wasn't really sure what to do about the numbers. The blog I was inspired by did some really cool stuff with their numbers, but I'm sure she also spent a pretty penny on all those little extras. I'm not quite ready to invest so much in my crafts since I don't craft often.
I went down to my local "A Little Bit of Heaven" scrap booking store and found some chipboard numbers already done. However, after getting home and beginning to paint the numbers, I realized I was short about 9 number 1's and 1 number 3. I went back to the scrapbook store and told the ladies my problem. Kindly one gal went in the back of the store and did 9 die cuts of the number 1 for me and 1 of the number 3. She did all those for just $1! Saved me from spending a lot extra. I LOVE that scrapbook store now!
Anyway, I finished painting all of the numbers and then I just used elmers glue to put them on the boxes.
My "design" on the wall isn't quite what I hoped, but I just wanted to stick all the boxes up with the wall puddy I found to see if the boxes will actually hold and not fall off the wall every time someone walks by. If these hold over night I'll try to make a pretty design for the wall.
Jade is SUPER excited about her "counting boxes". I've already bought some tiny nativity ornaments to put in half the boxes and I'll probably buy little candies or special verses or something for Jade to open up each day leading to Christmas.

There you go, my first attempt at doing something cool for Advent:)

A few pictures on Thanksgiving

I started off the morning sending Jonathan to the store to find a roasting pan for my turkey. He said it was full of husbands on cell phones picking up things like pam spray. lol. It wouldn't be a holiday without sending your man off to the store to buy the one thing you forgot, right?

We got the turkey in the oven in record time. Oh , and it's not bleeding, it's just VERY heavily seasoned. lol
Jade didn't get to help with a lot of the turkey day prep, but I did ask her to help me squeeze some oranges for the basting liquid I planned on using. She LOVED helping with that. And I must say did a really good job.
But mostly, Jade spent the day munchin' on snacks and playing with her new friends.
Aunt Jo and three of her College friends drove down from Spokane to spend Thanksgiving with us. I put them to work right away, Jo made the Zeppolas.
Hannah and Elizabeth kept JB company watching Football.
And Stephanie kept Jo (jade took this picture)
and Jade entertained.
While Stephanie was clearly Jade's favorite guest of the weekend, she did cozy up pretty quickly to Aunt Jo, Jo as well. Especially when she realized what a great tickler Jo, Jo was.
Right before we sat down to eat there was a small fight on who would get the second drumstick (JB instantly one the first drumstick). There is only one way to win a fight on Thanksgiving day...with the WISH bone!!
I think, as it turns out, Hannah won the wishbone battle...but still gave up her trophy to Aunt Jo.
We had a great Thanksgiving! The only sad part was my dessert didn't turn out right, thankfully Jo brought pumpkin pie and Stephanie brought delicious pumpkin cookies, so we were OK. :) Jade REALLY liked the "cream" that came with her pumpkin pie. Yum!

Thanks girls for making the trip down!

MOPS, Cleaning and a Party

Today was MOPS day (Mothers of Preschoolers). I wasn't planning on attending really since I still have the dregs of a cold going on. But when our normal sound system person wasn't going to be there and I, being the fill in, was suppose to step up. I did what any good wife would do and asked my husband (who happened to have the day "off" though he's still working via email) to come with me to MOPS and work the sound system for me. hee, hee

So while he was up working on his day off I got to enjoy a relaxing, enjoyable time with my MOPS gals. Our table has grown significantly in the past couple weeks so conversation is never at a loss. Sometimes I wonder if I talk to much at my table, but then afterward I feel like I've had a such a great release (talking with adults does wonders for your sanity) that I don't even care.

Needless to say I'm glad I went to MOPS and got some laughing and talking and just plain old good fellowship with my friends today.

Now I have a bathroom to clean and linens to find (we don't' really have extra linens for when company comes) to get ready for my Sis, Jo, and her college roomates, as they are joining us for Thanksgiving this week.

Then tonight I'm hosting a "Partylite" party at my house. I know, crazy to throw a house party on the week of Thanksgiving. But who knows, maybe there are half crazed people out there who just need a break from all their holiday prep and get a few hours of fun at my house.
Of course, I've had quite a few people cancel on me, so I'm worried I'll have to eat my apple, toffee, cheesecake all by myself. That and my dip and crackers and fruit and cheese...and apple cider drink. Oh well. If anyone around here, who reads my blog, wants to come help me eat food and play some games and look at candles...COME TO MY PARTY! lol

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving this week. I get to make a turkey, and sides and dessert and sweet potatoes and I even got a book on Thanksgiving to read between courses to Jade:) Thanksgiving is a wonderful day and I'm so glad that we have this day, every year, set aside to celebrate, reflect, remember and just be plain old thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Getting over being sick

Friday morning I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a Mac truck. It was just a cold, sore throat, stuffy nose, no big deal right? Wrong! My whole body was so pathetic and lethargic and exhausted. I decided it was a day to dedicate to the wearing of PJ's. Jade thought this was a fabulous plan and decided to join me.

Looking back I'm kind of proud of my super lazy, did nothing at all, Friday day. We watched some tv shows together, read books, played on the computer, did "School" organized baby clothes and then both of us took a three hour nap. Three hours! It was heaven.

Sadly, Friday night Jade got hit by my cold. In the delirium that is deep sleep, I agreed to a crying Jade that she could join us in bed on Friday night. She had a bad cough and couldn't sleep in her's. Poor Jonathan was beside himself so he went searching for baby cough medicine (which seems to have disappeared from all the store shelves, is it that dangerous now?). Jade did finally fall asleep, insisting that my arm be wrapped tightly around her little body in order for her to do so. I didn't get much sleep but this is only the second time in her little life that I've gotten to make a memory of Jade sleeping with us. So I decided not to be to grumpy about it.

Saturday Jade seemed to be fine except for her cough and I was okay for the most part. Still, I decided not to infect my friends and declined all my afternoon activities. I also canceled working in Sunday school since Jade was still coughing and I had the dregs of a cold.

Sunday I did wonder out into the world. Stopping at Micheals and JoAnn Fabrics in search for some very specific sized, mini paper mache boxes, for an Advent Calendar craft. I also stopped at Target for some more hand soap and zinc lozenges. Which, btw, I just realized I'm suppose to be careful about how much zinc and vitmain-c I take. *sigh* seriously, pregnant ladies aren't suppose to take ANYTHING for colds while pregnant and then when you reach for the more natural remedies your also told "NO!". Oh well.

Jade went to bed early last night, seeming to be just fine. I slept like a baby as well with no wake up calls from sleepless two year olds.

We have a lot of cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping to do today, so I'm hoping the bulk of our colds are gone and we can accomplish this without infecting the world. Needless to say I'll be traveling with my disinfectant wipes (grocery cart) and hand sanitizer just in case! lol

Colds the week of Thanksgiving are not very well planned.

I also, had to laugh, when reading my pregnancy book where it said "Most pregnant women will get at least one cold during their pregnancy" and how I'm barely at month sixth and this is already my third cold. I really am dis-liking my immune system right now.

In happier news, my little sis, Jo and her three roommates from college will be joining us for Thanksgiving this week. I'm really excited to have the company and have someone to cook for!! I mean, it's nice cooking for JB and Jade, but let's be honest, they don't really eat much. So now I have a legitimate reason to buy a pretty big turkey today and not feel like I'm being wasteful.

False Start

Jade has so many little quirky things she does these days, I forget to post some of the cutest ones on my blog. But today's was pretty memorable. While playing with her little board games she stopped to show me her new favorite hand signal. Frantically she began rolling her arms around each other waiting for me to respond in some way. I started laughing and asked Daddy what on earth was she doing?

He laughed and said "oh, she's doing 'false start' you know, like the refs in football?"
hahaha! I wish I had a picture of that. Neither Jonathan nor I do this special hand signal, I guess Jade really does watch football more then I realized!

Flexible

Sometimes I'm just NOT good at being flexible. Most of the time I am, and most the time I thrive on having my whole day change and rearranged. And then there are those days where I think to myself "why, why now? Haven't I been flexible enough for one week...MONTH?"

The changes made to my schedule today aren't really that bad, or horrible or hard to juggle around. I'm just tired of having to change around my schedule.

Lord, please help me to be a loving and forgiving person. Help me to look at circumstances through other people's eyes and not just my own. Amen.

New hobbie

Thanks to a friend at MOPS, who clued me in on the gadget "Knifty Knitter" ,I am now becoming quite the experienced knitter of little hats. The first hat I made I didn't really follow the directions on so it didn't come out right. But the second hat came out perfect and only took me about an hour to make! It sticks out kind of funny on Jade (below) because she is wearing two hair bands on each side of her head.
This pink hat I made last night, it's actually big enough it fits my head! I bought a few more yarn colors and I'm hoping to make some baby hats for friends and some more hats for Jade and me:)
Perhaps I'll even make some to give away as Christmas gifts. If you want to make hats, but two knitting needles are just to much for you. Check out the knifty knitter! It's SO easy! Jade even helps me make these!

Funny little things Jade says

The other day we were in the car driving home. It was rainy and cloudy and almost dusk-like even though it was about 11am. I heard Jade in the backseat talking to herself saying...

"Hello Moon! oh, no moon. Hello Sun, oh no sun. Hello stars! Oh, no stars, Hello blue sky, oh no blue sky. Hello birds, where are you birds?"

Then the other day when a big stink bug was crawling around on Jade's floor she got me to come see. I was really upset and told that stink bug he wasn't allowed in our house I said "you tell him Jade". So Jade said "you have to leave, you aren't allowed in our house". A few seconds later Daddy came over with a paper towel and got rid of the critter for us...permanently.

Jade is becoming quite the talker and doing pretty well on pronunciations of things. Though, she still calls "Hiccups" "Make-ups" and "Buttons" are still "Butts". But we are getting closer.

When daddy is home working on the computer she'll ask him "Oh, you working on your email?" guess she knows what I do all day.

Two of her favorite cartoons are Dora and Diego. If we are out anywhere and she's 'running" while holding my hand she'll say "I'm running fast like Diego, I go, go, go!" she'll also play pretend with her toys and if I ask her what she is doing she'll say "I'm playing Dora. You want to be Boots?". lol I think Boots is the monkey character. Nice.

Sometimes when she finds me laying down in the middle of the day, she'll ask me "Your tummy hurts?". It doesn't hurt any more but I guess those first three months really made an impression on her.

Of course she says tons of other cute stuff. But that's all I got for now

Math and Reading

A little while back I bought Jade a few "School" supplies. The first thing I got (well, after a preschool activity book at Wal-mart) was The Bob books level 1 readers. From time to time I pull out those books and Jade and I read them together. She pretty much has the first book memorized and is now working on the second.

Another fun "School" tool I bought were Cuisenaire Rods mostly all we do with them is play and match up colors or find colors to match up with a longer rod, etc. Last night, however, I came upstairs and found that Dad and Jade were making super cool designs with the rods, doing counting and colors. Here Jade is pointing to each rod and telling me which color it is.
And here she is posing for the camera. My little, shy daughter:)

It's so much fun to watch Jade learn and have fun with it. I love being able to just do "School" at our own pace and not stress about it much since she isn't "school age" yet. Soon we'll start official preschool/kindergarten and actually create a routine. But for now. We just have lots of fun.

On a reading note. I'm trying to find a child book on the first Thanksgiving. I went to a few bookstores in the last month or so and haven't really found anything I liked. I did google a few online today and put two on hold at the library (thank you, all of you who told me to put books on hold FIRST before going to the library). However, if you have a favorite children's Thanksgiving book you wish to share with me...I'd love to hear what it is! Thanks!

What are the Bechtle's having?

Is it a girl? Is it a boy? How will we ever know?

Ultrasounds are magical! It's a boy!

Babies first profile pic!

Pretty princess

Last night, Jade and her friend Caitlyn were playing "princesses" they both wanted their pictures taken
oops, no crown for Caitlyn...we really must teach Jade about SHARING.

My new favorite beauty product

I've been reading for a few years now that body oil is great for really dry skin. I've avoided buying it because it just seems strange to me to put on body oil without the intention to go sun tanning. lol

However, my dry skin gets even drier in the Fall/Winter and seems to get that much MORE dry when I'm pregnant. I've woken myself at night from scratching my legs like some crazed, scratching, maniac.
I've tried super hydrating lotions, lotions for "dry, damaged skin" lotions you apply morning, noon and night. And still I scratch like a crazy lady.

So when my dear girlfriend tipped me off to Wal-mart's knock off brand of the above oil, I figured it was time I give it a try.

I've used it for a week now and I LOVE it! It hasn't made my skin 100% hydrated, but the scratching is down to a minimum. Plus, I love the super silky feel of my skin that lasts all day and I can't help but get a kick out of putting oil all over my body...in the winter. Somehow it just puts me in the right mood...as though I were about to go outside and soak up some rays.

If you have super dry skin and you haven't tried body oil. You may want to try it and see if it works as well for you as it has been for me.

Now, if I can only get my face from breaking out while pregnant. hmmm...I may just have to suffer for a few more months there.

Daylight savings time. My awe and wonder

Even though I know computers and cell phones and even portable land line phones have had the technology to reset their own clocks when daylight savings comes around. It still amazes me!

This morning after getting off the phone I looked at it and was like "wow, my portable phone has the correct time"

technology is amazing!

Harvest Fest

This afternoon we headed over to church for "Harvest Fest". They have free food and candy, games and prize, hay rides and a huge cardboard maze. It didn't take Jade long to start having a great time!
First they spun the giant pumpkin to see how much candy Jade would win.
Then Jade tried her hand at throwing a tiny ping pong ball into open mason jars. She wasn't able to but she still won candy.
Every game they played got more and more exciting. Jade's eyes were so huge and so excited to get to eat candy the whole time!
Upstairs they had a "cake walk". JB and Jade jumped in and on the very first stop Jade won! She got a giant cookie cake!
Here they are headed into the giant cardboard maze. It was to dark inside to get pictures otherwise I would have.

A little cardboard miniature golf.

Hayride!

There actually weren't to many ballerina's at the party, but we did run into Caitlyn who was dressed pretty close.
Some cotton candy, popcorn, and a hot dog finished up the night. It was a fun day...lots of sugar!

Bored on a Saturday...making a fool of myself, hee, hee

Thoughts on baby

My sister sent me this video today called "A Mother's Prayer" . Of course, I can't watch anything even slightly sentimental without bursting into tears. So even if it's just the pregnancy hormones this really touched me this morning.

I've been thinking a lot about my child(ren) and how my life has changed and how my heart and desires are so full of hopes and dreams for my little ones. There have been more times then I can count where the thoughts sung in the song have popped in my head or been prayed over Jade's tiny body.

Last night, while lying in bed, wide awake, feeling my little baby Bechtle kicking inside me all I could think about is how good God is. How wonderful and amazing his mercies, his love, his power. I was struck with how He has used marriage as a way for me to better understand his love for me and now with children, again, I feel I'm able to understand a little better how his love for us can be so strong, so powerful even when we are so undeserving. Being a parent I can't imagine any love stronger then the love I have for my child. What I wouldn't do for her, give to her, etc.

When I was pregnant with Jade, I was amazed with the process, but I think I was so preoccupied with being a new wife, living in a new state and going through so many new things, that I wasn't able to really be in the moment of my pregnancy. This time around I feel everything, I am aware of everything, and I'm humbled and excited to know that God is giving me not one beautiful baby but TWO! My life is going to change again, change and be different for ever. And it won't just change for me, life is going to change for Jade as well. She gets to be a big sister.

I'm really excited to see Jade in this new role. She is so strong, so sweet, so precious to me. I know she will be a wonderful big sister and friend.

I started putting together an online photo album of Jade's pictures from the last three years. I feel like I'm reliving all of those memories over again and it's all I can do not to keep from crying. (with joy, of course) It's only been three short years, and yet this is my life and I can't imagine it without her. Remembering how excited I was when she first started doing her baby, gurgly talk, then when she first rolled over. Crawling, walking, eating big girl food, saying her first words...saying "I love you Mommy". Now she runs and jumps and colors and counts and reads (some). She uses the potty and is learning to wash her own hair. She helps me with dinner, cleaning, laundry. I love when she comes up to me in the mornings while I'm on the computer. She says "You emailing mommy?" I'll say "yes I am" then she'll say "what we doing today?". lol! What happened to my little poochie bear? My little baby girl who just laid on the floor staring up at the lights on the ceiling.

Sometimes I worry about having another baby. I worry about favoritism and wonder if I can ever love another child as much as I love my first. But then I think how exciting it will be to get to go through the baby process all over again, to get to be filled with awe and wonder as my next child experiences the joys of life anew. And with it, get to see Jade experience a baby sibling for the first time.

I'm so happy right now.

Oh, we get to find out what we are having next Friday! I can't wait to share with everyone what our new baby will be...girl or boy. hee, hee

Pretty water bottle please!

My Mother-in-law bought me the best water bottle ever, one with an attached straw. So I actually could drink out of it (if I wanted) while running without spitting water all over myself, or give to Jade for a quick sip without her spitting water every where. I loved it and have used it nearly daily since I got it. However, the constant use as gotten to it, the straw is now split and the whole thing doesn't work very well.

Ever since I bought a running shirt at Lucy a few months back, I've pretty much be in love with the store. I love their styles for sportswear. My excuse for not buying their stuff right now is I'm pregnant, but really the reason is price. Their sale stuff isn't to bad though, and some of those pants I know I could wear even through pregnancy! Still...all I can think about for after I have this baby is buying some cute sportswear and working off all my baby weight.

Until then, if anyone wants to buy me their super cool water bottle (with built in straw) for Christmas, that would be awesome!

Jade in a basket

Personally I enjoy chicken and fries in a basket, or smelly soaps and lotions. But then I saw Jade in a basket and I think I have a new favorite. hee, hee

She was playing here with Knowles and decided he's have more fun if all the toys were out of the basket and she was in it.

The reason I'm in MOPS...

...Is for MOPS meetings like today. Good, good speaker, good, good, table conversation and an all around really relaxing time.

I must admit I don't always enjoy my time at MOPS, but meetings like today make it all worth it. And reminds me to be grateful and thankful for love and effort people give to make MOPS a special place.

I hate the library

Perhaps you think "hate" is to strong a word to use against something so wonderful to most of mankind. But when I looked up the meaning of the word hate it said: "to feel intense dislike, or extreme aversion or hostility"
And then I thought "nope, not to strong a word"

Grrr. I just got back from the library and I'm once again extremely frustrated, irritated and feeling very hostile. It's like those cranky librarians can spot the unseasoned "library goer" and therefore, I must not be good enough to step foot in their book filled facility. So do they help me. No. They pity me. Look at me with confused expressions, patronizingly ask me question like "did it say the book was checked in?". No, I'm not only non-frequenter of the library, I'm also a complete fool. Grrr.

Today's experience took me from one librarian to the "youth librarian reseacher" to some older librarian stacking books. No one ever followed through with their assistance and in the end the list of "recommendations" handed to me on the yellow and black flyer turned up with ZERO books in stock.

I HATE the library. I find nothing, get horrible assistance and in the end justify my reasons for rarely going to the library. I really must fix this issue I have with the library so my child doesn't grow up disliking it as much as I do.

Once again I will send my husband to the library with my list of needs. My husband has magical powers at the library. Not only can he find the books on my list, he also is able to return with others I never even thought of that I want/need, AND he normally returns in just as good a mood...if not better...then when he left. I on the other hand will continue hating the library until the day I finally am able to figure out the wacky system and meet a nice librarian helper.