500...Finally!

Well, the big one is finally here. I'm a little short of my goal, but it's more important to finish (even if it's not the best).

Five hundred posts! I don't think I ever expected to keep up the blogging. It was a slow start. After all, I was a new mommy to baby #4 and my oldest had just started school. Incidentally, going from 3 kids to 4 kids was my hardest adjustment. Adding #5 was hardly a difference. I expect #6 to be the same.

Honestly, if I didn't think some people were enjoying keeping up with our crazy little family, I likely wouldn't continue. I do keep a journal, though that isn't nearly as colorful as my blog. And many of you have been quite encouraging. So I feel like maybe I make a few friends through my blog. I'm a little surprised some of you keep coming back...especially since you don't even know me or my family outside of Blogger. I guess real life does have a bit of comedy in it after all. I'll have to try to notice it more.

It took me 3 1/2 years to blog my way to 500 posts. I don't have any plans to reach 1,000. If I get there, great. If not, it means other things are guiding my life. Hopefully, I'll be able to share most of them and keep the blogging up. I mean, don't we all want to know how Joseph's potty training goes? And Leah starts Kindergarten in the Fall, with Rebekah starting the following year. And of course, we'll want to see the new baby when she starts crawling. But I hope that Joseph starts talking long before any of that. THAT will be a major post!

Now enough sentimentality. Did you want news? It probably does not come as any surprise that Chad's mini van did not win any races at the Pinewood Derby last week. Unless you count coming in last. But it was a winner. It beat out a Rolls Royce for Most Unique. That earned our family a little package of Almond Joys to share. There were some pretty competitive men there that night. We were just there for the fun...lots less stressful. Oh, and the root beer floats. Yummy.

I let Nathan take the pictures, so we've got a lot of pictures that need to be deleted. But it was very difficult to get a picture of the action. ZOOM! Here's a shot of all the cars that were there.

On Saturday, there was a Baby Animal fair. The kids had fun going from baby to baby. Leah touched everything she could get to...including the giant boa(?). It was a little chilly, because we got there early, but we beat the crowds (most important).

We worked in the yard on Saturday. I mowed the lawn. It was the first time this year. What a difference it made! And what a sunburn I had on my arms. (I got a lot of attention for that at church yesterday.) Chad tilled the garden and we planted our small selection of plants. I expect about half will make it. Good old gardening in Eastern Idaho. It froze that night and the next.

Sunday was Mother's Day (as I'm sure you all knew). My kids were not well behaved for the occasion. They made sure I knew I was a mother. I held a short choir practice, despite the holiday. We had a pretty fair turnout. We sing next week - otherwise, I wouldn't be such a task master! But our choir sounds great. It's obvious they are working hard.

Today was my monthly doctor's appointment. We did another sex check on the baby...since the doctor was only 80% sure last month. While he was looking at the screen, he asked me what he'd said it was last time. We both saw something completely different this time. I saw the girl parts before he said anything. (Did you catch my hint a few paragraphs ago?) So I have a beautiful pale blue baby afghan nearly finished. It will be a fun thing to joke about...I guess! He said he'd look in two more months, but I don't see much reason to...it was pretty clear.

And while I was sitting here, ignoring my children's pleas for this and that, Joseph came up to me looking like this! Good thing there aren't any pictures planned.