Tree Gone....

This was a big project that we wanted to get done before we put our house on the market. We had a guy come and cut the big pine tree down and then it took Brandon & I good week to get everything cleaned up. There were so many roots and rocks around the base that we had to get cleaned up before we could have the guy come and cut the stump out.

After the stump was gone we had to pick up a bunch of bark and take out the plastic edging. In the end we eneded up putting about 10 bags of dirt on top to get it evened out and then planted grass seed. Hopfully in a few weeks it will be covered by some good grass.

It was a big project, but it looks so nice now. The front yard looks bigger and we can see out our front windows.

Friends......
Yesterday we had a chance to visit with our friends Josh & Amy who were passing through on there way home to Minnesoda. It's so nice to catch up on life and to remeber memories. The kids had a blast playing and Ruby even had a good time.

House Listed.....

Well we finally had the time to write up the listing and up load pictures. To see the listing and the blog that I created you can go here & here... Now we just have to wait and see if anyone is interested in our house. If it sells we will be heading to Sioux Falls SD. Brandon is taking his test to get his nursing lisence on Aug 27th, which is not to far away. So much happening in the next few weeks. I will have to try and keep the house extra clean if that is even possible with 3 kids.

Discovering God's Best for You

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Psalm 68:19 KJV

Today is your best day because you can grow a little more in your faith, a little more in your maturity, and a little more in your intimacy with Jesus. Today you can take another step higher as He takes you from glory to glory.

Corrie Ten Boom once said, "God doesn't have problems; He only has plans." God doesn't make bad days for you and good days for you. God makes each day fit perfectly into His plans for you.

There are two ways that we can walk through a day. One is to walk by sight, and the other it walk by faith. To walk by faith means to walk in the truth of God's word and the presence of the Holy Spirit who lives in you.

Excerpt from Today is Your Best Day by Roy Lessin, DaySpring co-founder and writer

Fun in the Country......
The kids had a blast at Grandpa & Grandma Kostman's house. The boys could not get enough 4 wheeling and enjoyed many other fun things as you can see in the pictures below. Enjoy:)

House Hunting.......

While we were out in Sioux Falls, South Dakota we looked at around 20 houses. We came away from our search with a few favorites.

One of the houses that is at the top of our list is this ranch house. We really like it because it has a really big kitchen & living room. The bedrooms are also good size, which was good. The other bonus of the place is there is another 1,000 sqft that could be finished on top of the 1,956 sqft already finished. The only downfall with this place is it does not have a great backyard.

The second house that we like this multi level house. The stone work & wood floors are awesome. The kitchen & dining room are good size. The other part I love about this house is it has a wonderful backyard.

Here's a few other homes we like...here, here & I have also found a few more, but we would have to look at them. I guess now we just have to get our house listed by the beginning of next week and go from there.

Home......

We just made it home yesterday from being gone for two weeks. It was a nice to get away from everyday life and visit with family. We also got to check out Sioux Falls, South Dakota. For those who may not know we are looking to move there. Brandon would really like to get a job out there. While we were in South Dakota we looked at houses and found a few that we like.

Now that we are home we need to finish up all the projects that need to be completed in and around the house, which seems to be endless. We will then list the house to be sold and go from there depending on if there is interest. We are going to first list it for sale by owner just to see how it goes. Brandon then will be looking for jobs and applying. There are so many endless what ifs..... We just don't know what will happen, but I am glad to know the Lord knows His plans for us and I don't have to worry. I am just praying for His leading in all that we do. I would just ask all that read my blog to keep us in your prayers.

I will post some pictures of our trip, when I have a chance. I hope you all are having a wonderful summer as school is just around the corner!

Busy with Family.........

We have been in Nebraska since last Friday night. We stayed the first night in Lincoln Nebraska with Brandon's sister & husband. Then on Saturday we drove the rest of the way to North Platte Nebraska were Brandon's parents live. They live out in the country on a nice acreage and the kids have had lots of fun riding on the 4-wheeler & John Deere tractor. They also have been enjoying the swing set, slip & slide, hot tub and just watching grandpa work on projects.

In North Platte we took the kids swimming at the Rec Center and then out to Cody Park were they have carnival rides & very inexpensive ice cream cones & cotton candy. We have had lots of fun and have only a few more days until we will be heading up to Sioux Falls, SD. I'll be back when I can to share more about our trip and pictures.

Swimming Lessons.......

Last week the kids had swimming lessons everyday at 11:00 a.m. for a half hour. They have both been loving it and have another full week of lesson again. The best part about the lessons was it only cost me a total of $30 for the full two weeks for both Anna and Gabriel. I wish I had known about it a couple of years ago. The other bonus is they are just down the street at the high school.

Happy 4th of July.......

The kids had a blast at the parade today and came home with a bunch of candy. In the afternoon the kids took a good nap, which mommy also did. We then had some friends come over for supper and to watch the fireworks. It was a great day of fun for all!

Before & After......

We have been doing some landscaping this past week. Brandon tore out a large bush that was in the wrong area and then we moved some dirt/rocks around. The rocks in this area are so deep there is no way to get rid of them all. Last year I pick up buckets of rocks & thought I would never see the end.

We planted some new plants and then put down some shredded bark. It looks so nice I don't know why we didn't do it sooner. We also put some fresh bark on some other areas, which I will take pictures of and post sometime next week. The yard is looking really nice and we only have a couple of things to finish up.

A Fathers Love

A father is respected because
he gives his children leadership...
appreciated because
he gives his children care...
valued because
he gives his children time...
loved because
he gives his children the one thing
they treasure most - himself.

The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him. Proverbs 20:7 KJV

Lovely Morning......
We have had a lot of rainy days in the last few weeks, but yesterday was a nice cool morning. I made the kids monkey bread and Noah decided he wanted to enjoy his outside at the picnic table. Noah sure has a mind of his own and really loves the outdoors. He is always wanting to go outside to ride his bike or scooter. He is such a sweet little boy, or as he tells me, "I'm a big boy."

Psalm 34: 8
"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."

Yummy....
A couple of years ago I decided to plant some strawberry plants in my backyard. This is the first year that we have had enough berries in one picking for the whole family to enjoy. So far I have picked them about 3 times and we may of had more if it wasn't for all the rain that we have had in the last couple of weeks. I hope to get a few more pickings off of them before the end of the season.

Beautiful Roses......
I decided to bring them in from the backyard, so we could all enjoy them. The Lord has such wonderful creation for us to enjoy.

Psalm 34:17 & 18
"The rightous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

Assurance in Jesus

May Jesus assure you that as you follow Him
you will never meet a fear He cannot conquer,
you will never face an enemy He cannot defeat,
you will never enter a battle He cannot win,
you will never have a need He cannot meet,
you will never face a temptation He cannot overcome,
you will never have a burden He cannot lift,
you will never face a problem He cannot solve,
you will never have a bondage He cannot break,
you will never have a moment when He does not care,
you will never have a time when He is not there.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13 KJV

(The picture of the flowers are from my wonderful husband. They were delivered to me and were a nice surprise.)

New Swimming Pool......
The weather forecast for today is 90 degrees and sunny. So, early this morning we went to Target to see what kind of swimming pool we could find. We were just planning on getting a simple inflatable pool, but ended up bringing home this big thing. It holds a lot of water. The kids have had a blast in it today. It's even big enough for me to sit in. We had to keep some water out otherwise Noah would of have a hard time getting in & out, but next year we should be able to fill it all the way up.

Noah ended up falling asleep on the couch with Ruby after swimming. The sun and water sure can wear a child out.

New Leather Couch....

I have been wanting to get a new couch for a while because the old rust couches we had look bad and the cushions fell off all the time. This past week I happen to come across this tan leather couch for $150 on Craigslist, which is an awesome deal. The other great part about the couch was it was only 15 mins from our house and fit in the back of my hubbies truck. The other great part is we listed our old love seat & couch on Craigslist and someone picked them up by five O'clock. It's nice not having them sitting in the garage.

Before Pictures.......
Brandon's mom & dad were here to visit this past week and took on a tiling project and a few others as well. As you can see we had some lovely floors in our kitchen and bathroom area. We had to move out all the appliances, take off all the trim, take down a couple doors and then screw down cement board. It took a couple of days to get the floor ready for it's new tile.

Finished Result.....
Here are the lovely new floors that we have now in our kitchen and bathroom area. It makes everything look so much bigger and cleaner. Thanks Ray & Kara for all your hard work:)

Happy Birthday......

On May 16th Gabriel turned 4 years old. Wow how the times has gone by. I made him a double layered chocolate cake with butter-cream frosting, which was really yummy. We had a good time celebrating with his grandma & grandpa from Nebraska, which have been here for the last week. They got him this cool Radio Flyer Big Wheel.

Update on School.....

Brandon has been studying the last couple of days for his big Algebra final, which is tomorrow. After that he is all done and will be waiting for his final grades. After that he will be studying for his BIG test (the NCLEX) to get his nursing license and then he's off to look for a job. I can't believe the 3 years have gone by already and it is time to start paying back the money we owe. This is probably the part that I am really not looking forward to. At least we have 6 months after graduation before we have to start paying back student loans.

Monday: Tatar Tot Casserole, Rolls

Tuesday: Pirate Stew (Crock-pot Recipe)

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Zippy Turkey Tortilla Bake

Friday: Meat Loaf with Cream of Mushroom Sauce, Mash Potatoes, String Beans

Saturday: Grilled Brats, French Fries, Corn

Sunday: Waffles & Sausage

Happy Mother's Day.....

The hubby went out early this morning and brought me home some tulips and yummy donuts the for the kids and I. I'm not sure what else we will be up to today, but I hope it's relaxing. I know the kids want to get out for a walk. Thanks hubby for all your love & help.

House Burning.....
This past weekend they had all the firetrucks down by the park and were running drills as they burned this house down. They are getting rid of the house because they have plans in the works for a new park area. The kids had fun seeing all the firetrucks, fire fighters and the house burning. It will be fun to see what they plan on doing next. I know the boys will have a good time seeing all the construction equipment.

Always something new.......
Life has been pretty crazy this past week and weekend. Noah's has been enjoying the open space in the living room for the last couple of days by riding his tractor. We had to clear out the couch's, rugs and blankets. Brandon had a patient a couple of weeks ago, which they found out had scabies. It's kind of like lice, but they are mites, which can get all over your body. We soon found out last Thursday evening that the kids had it and Brandon had a few spots as well.

The last several days have kept me busy with more laundry then I wish to do. We all have been treated, but we have to have another treatment in a week. I hope this is gone by the end of this week. I am ready to get my house back together. I guess on the plus side I have gotten some spring cleaning done, unfortunately with kids things don't stay clean for very long.

Hat Day.....

The kids did a easy little projects today, which they loved. I think they look so cute in there little hats. We also went exploring trying to find some new parks close by, but found out one of the best in our town is just down the street from our house. There are also two other great parks in town that the kids love to go too. The weather has been so great here this past week, but this weekend it will be raining.

I have started to feel better with my mouth infection and the morning sickness is gone. Now I just have to deal with tiredness, which I feel by afternoon and evening. I just have to make sure I get my naps each day and go to bed as early as I can.

Mouth Pain.....

Last Thursday morning I called the dentist with mouth pain. I went in and they started a root canal, and sent me home with antibiotics and pain relievers. Then by Friday evening the pain was getting worst. I was able to get some sleep that night, but by Saturday evening I was going crazy with pain. It was bad if not worse then labor pains and so we called a friend and had him come over to stay with the sleeping kids. Brandon then took me into the ER and we waited for about an hour and then we got to see a doctor. He gave me a nerve block, which helped for about 4 hours and then a prescription for stronger antibiotics and pain relievers. I got good sleep that evening, but by morning I was having really bad pain again. We then went back into the ER and they did another nerve block, but said there really is not much else that they can do. I just have to wait for the antibiotic to work enough, so then the pain relievers will work. I was thinking to myself how much longer can I take this. Thank the Lord we had some friends who watch the kids for us on Sunday, so I was able to come home and sleep and Brandon was able to get some homework done. Then by Sunday evening the pain meds were working and the pain was bearable. What a weekend it was and not one I would like to revisit anytime soon.

Faithful One......

I learned a new song this past weekend and wanted to share it with you. It is called "Faithful One" by Brian Doerksen and you can listen to it here. Enjoy!

Looking for Easter Eggs......

The kids had a egg hunt with there cousins on Easter weekend. They had fun and it was a beautiful day out too. Anna also slept over at her cousins house for the first time. She had a blast and it will probably be the beginning of many sleepovers.

Enjoying the Treasures.....
Noah was so happy with his finds. He found himself a spot to sit down and started to dig in.

The kids with there cousins Makenzi and Tanner and Ruby even made it in the picture.

First Appointment.....

On Friday I had my first OB appointment. The kids all came with me and did a great job. I had some informational paperwork to fill out, a physical examination and the most exciting part was hearing the babies heart beat. It was tough to find, but we did hear it for a bit, which the kids thought was neat. I am due on October 17th and so I am 13 weeks along so far.

After the appointment I treated the kids to McDonald's. They love to go there because of the play land and mommy loves it because they can play forever without fighting. Then after McDonald's we met daddy at Borders. The kids love to do there and look at books at least the older ones.

Pregnancy Update......
I have been feeling better these days. I am now 12 weeks and am about past the morning sickness. I still have some not so great days, but mainly it's because I am tired. I'm not sure what I can do to get my energy up a bit. I have been trying to eat healthy and keep up on snacks so that I don't feel hungry. Also in the last couple of days I have like this pinched nerve in my upper leg area. I can still get around, but it's a bit uncomfortable at times. I am looking forward to this going away. Lastly I am showing, but have not had to break out any maternity clothes yet.

We will be heading out to visit my parents for the weekend. Brandon's on spring break and it looks like it's going to be a nice weekend. We are looking forward to spending lots of time outside with the kids. I am hoping to get lots of great pictures this weekend to share with you next week. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend:)

Little Friend....

My parents were here last week and had this black cocker spaniel with them. We had a couple of people stop by and we thought they might be interested, but it's about a week later and we still have the puppy. We have had a few others who have stop to look, but still no buyers. We will be heading to visit my family in a couple of days and my be taking the little guy back to them. The kids have had fun, but I'm ready to be done with cleaning up after a little puppy.

Awana Car Racing....

The kids had there car race last Wednesday. They had a good time watching all the cars, but in the end Anna had a hard time because she did not get a trophy. They did receive a blue ribbon, but it was not good enough. She just has a hard time losing when it comes to most games. Gabe had no trouble at all and had a fun time making his firetruck.

Anna & A Friend.....

A few Changes....
Well it's that time of year when it's time to change things up a bit. The picture at the top of my blog is a picture of some of our first flowers that Anna found in the backyard this afternoon. She was pretty excited and then later asked about watering my strawberry plants. I had to say it's a little to earlier for that. I think it is about time I get some potting soil, so the kids and I can plant some seed to watch and grow. I am planning on keeping the garden simple this year. We still have a lot of canned tomatoes from last year and plenty of frozen vegetables in the freezer. I am pretty thankful for that because by the end of the summer I am going to be pretty pregnant and getting around will not be very easy. Well that's all for now, but I do have some nice pictures that I will be sharing over the next week.

Spring is in the Air......

Yesterday we pulled all of the the backyard toys out because it was so beautiful. The kids played outside most of the day and enjoyed it so much. They even got to play with there friend Avery who lives right next door. I believe it's going to be a pretty regular occurrence this summer, which will be great.

Then today it got to a high of 65 degrees. We had some friends over for lunch and the kids played outside some more. We even headed to the park for a while and I got a bit over heated sitting in the sun. It's been a good day and it's just so nice to hear the kids playing and enjoying the outdoors.

For me I am still feeling sick especially in the morning and am just trying to keep up with the things I need to get done. I'm a little over my head in laundry right now, since last night we forgot to put a diaper on Gabe and two sets of sheets got dirty. The boys can't seem to sleep through the night without waking up and ending up in our bed. It's a good thing we have a king size bed. I am hoping that will change with the nice weather and the kids playing outside. Hopefully they will get a bit more worn out.

Brandon's been staying busy with school and especially math homework. He only has about two months left and then he graduates. Wow how the time has gone by. He has been doing a home health clinical this semester, which he loves.

Well that's about all for now. One of these days soon I hope to be back to myself and be able to share more pictures and projects that I am working on, but until then hope your all having a great week.

Playing with friends......

The kids have been enjoying there time with friends. The kids have a blast, which is so nice to see.

A Weeks Gone By.....

It's hard to believe a week has gone by. I have been lacking energy to do much, but keep up with the kids and the things that need to be done around the house. I have been dealing with morning sickness or all day sickness for the last couple of weeks. I am looking forward to getting back to my normal self.

The kids have been staying busy. We have been going to the library on Mondays and then getting together with friends a couple other day of the week. The kids have also been playing outside for a good hour or so each day. They really have spring fever and are so ready to ride there bikes. I am looking forward to not having to get they all dress up nice and warm in order for them to go out.

Well I hope to be back with some more exciting post sometime or pictures of something.