Update...sort of..

Big update to come soon...but I promised the girls a picnic in the park...so I have to keep my promise! So, we're off to do our picnic, play at the park and check out some books at the library!!

Getting busy...

Okay...so I've signed on here for like the first time in a long time :-(

It bums me out because I have all these intentions of doing things, or at least staying on top of things.... Oh well, someday!



Anyway, so to update people who actually read this...Tatyana (my step-daughter) is now with us for the Summer...well as of July 22nd. I've been making sure that the girls are having fun and keeping up on their responsibilites around the house. (Which is hard for me 'cause I like things done a certain way!) Anyway, that's going pretty well!

They had Vacation Bible School the 23-25th. Angela was really uncertain of this and they almost called me to come pick her up 'cause she was crying and really missing me (Awww...can I just hold onto that Angela for EVER!) However, she came home feeling pretty awful...I thought maybe it was heat exhaustion...gave her something to help her head, made her drink tons of water and later that night she was feeling much better. The next night however she spiked a fever of 104.2 (Which I took as soon as we got home 'cause she was burning up) I called the doctor immediatley (of course by this time the answering service was picking up and I had to wait for a call from the on call physician) Well, we couldn't wait and James took her to the ER 'cause her fever wouldn't go down. Turns out she had a U.T.I (urinary tract infection...) I was astonished...had know idea she was feeling bad...so, anywho...we keep her "home" from VBS so we can make sure she is drinking her water and going potty regularly.

We returned to the church for the BBQ and community service project we were doing for LOVEinc. which was a lot of fun!

The girls had a doctors appointment on that following Tuesday...which is where I find out that

#1 Tatyana is exactly 1 inch shorter than me...(gulp)

#2 Angela really doesn't have a UTI... (uh oh- I hope she did not contaminate 50 plus people by being at VBS and the BBQ... (She infact did not contaminate anyone...no one else got sick. Thank God!)

James and I celebrated our Summer Wedding Anniversary on July 31st...but we didn't really do anything...actually we did the opposite of being along! We had our niece, Taylor, spend the night so the girls could have a slumber party! They had fun complete with some "loaded chocolate peanut butter cup" ice cream! Yummy!

Since we have now entered August (Yikes I can't believe it!) it seems like time is passing even faster than before! Ben is now 3 months old...and he is getting more and more social each day! He really likes to "play the drums"! My sister started making the drum music (Ton Locs Wild Thing) and Ben got the biggest smile on his face! Now everytime we do that he just starts smiling and giggling!

Angela will be starting school in about a month (ahhhh) and Tatyana will be going into 5th grade...seriously where does the time go?



Yesterday, Tuesday August 4th, James and I found out that he will be driving the Montana route for another month. I'm really bummed about that. He leaves early (1-2am) Monday morning and doesn't get back till either Wednesday or Thursday evening :-(

It totally takes time out of our weekend...'cause he has to be in bed by 5pm and then it's just me and the kids 'til he gets back...oh well, it's good for the pocket book for right now...and since I recently found out that I will NOT be getting a pay check this month ('cause of my maternity leave...blah,blah,blah and 'cause BSD just couldn't get their act together and give me a simple straight answer) Anywho...

Oh, when I wrote that I was going to be posting this big update on our lives so far since the last time I wrote something...we were going to the park for a picnic...yea my car didn't start...so we walked to Shute Park...it only took us about 28 minutes and we found the nearest picnic table and ate our lunch...we were STARVING! The kids did enjoy it though!
What's weird was as we were headed to the playground I saw one of my students from 2 years ago...and then soon realized that she was with 2 other students that had moved away 2 years ago...1 of them lives down the street from AND is good friends with the boy across the street...GULP! He seems to have grown up (keyword seems) so I'm hoping my house won't get TPed or egged...he was not one of our best students...
Ahhh...keep getting off track...anyway, the girls had a great time playing! We then walked to the library and checked out a few books...We had a longer walk back home ('cause we were exhausted!) and all of us relaxed when we got home!

We are getting ready for our vacaction to Sun River, and while it's very exciting I'm also getting very anxious...there is so much to do, and I never seem to have enough time to do it all in! The girls will be going to sports camp a few days this week, then they are off to go camping with their Grandparents and Aunts and Uncle so I know I will be able to get my house completely cleaned and have it stay that way for more than an hour!!!! I just wish (and this is the only time you will hear me say this) I could fast forward to being in Sun River, and relaxing in the hot tub, going on fun bike rides and enjoying an ice cream cone from Goody's! Ahhhh, I can taste it now!

Well, now that I'm up to date...I'm gonna hit the sack!

Photo Shoot @ Sears!

Before discovering that a good friend of mine is taking up photography (she is actually coming over tomorrow- July 18th to do a photo shoot with the whole Fam, YAY!) we scheduled an appointment to have pics done at Sears. Our main reason was, at Good Sam they DON'T have a professional come to your room and take pics since "Everyone these days has a digital camera" pssh...that's crap! But also, since Ben was in the NICU for 8 days and on house arrest for a long time we didn't get to capture some of those poses you would if you were able to go somewhere and have pics done...so we FINALLY did! It was a lot of fun! After Church on the 12th we headed over to Washington Square and actually enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (YUM!) and had enough time to nurse him and still be early at Sears...well, unlucky for us (and the photographer) Sears was NOT on time! They were running 15 minutes late...UGH! Bentley was a perfect Angel the 15 minutes that would have been our time for getting the pics taken...but since he had been very patient he was getting sleepy and crabby! We managed to get some really cute pics in between holding and comforting him! He was so sweet, some asleep and some awake! So, precious! James even got to do the pose he had been longing to do for so long!

It was a great experience and I can't wait to pick them up on the 28th! I posted a few (above- hey can anyone tell me how to post pictures BELOW my blog?) I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

A Baby "Showing"!

On Saturday July 11th was Bentley's "showing"! We called it a showing since well, #1 he was already born and present at the shower...I mean "showing" and #2 because he had some complications when he was first born( we were put on house arrest for a while 6-8 weeks). So a lot of our friends and family didn't see him until this day!
It was a ton of fun! Thanks to Chrissy (sister in law), Mom and Jen (sister) it was a huge success! The food and company was fantastic! Complete with, my favorite, GAMES and CAKE! Yummy!
The first game the guests played was a "How many words/names can you create out of :Bentley James Schulz" it was a ton of fun...and I had one guest tell me that they were still working on it when they got home!!! The second game was more of a "Trivia/Fun Facts" about the pregnancy,Bentley and Bentley's hospital stay...lot's of fun questions that EVERYONE that received an E-vite through facebook would have known answers to had they looked at my pictures! Hehehe, I'm so tricky! It was a lot of fun and people learned a lot too! (Look at me going with an educational themed "Showing"!)
It was also fun to open the gifts for Bentley...we had lot's of themed gifts...Football, cowboy, socks! So, so cute! Thank you to everyone that was able to make it!
The best part out of it all was being able to show him off, the healthy baby that he is today!!! For that we are very Blessed by God, and forever Thankful!
Thank you for all of your prayers!

Mama's got a new car!!! Part 2

That's right...a new engine! Do any of you, that actually read this, know how much that kind of work cost these days?! LOTS OF MONEY! We would have been better off just buying a new car! Well, that was DEFINITELY not in the cards for us. James was only working 3 days a week, me 7 months pregnant...who would hire me (for a second job to PAY for the new car)?! Thankfully we have wonderful family who helped us out! Once we found an engine that had been "rebuilt" it was just a matter of installing it! Praise God, that James,his dad and step-dad knew what they were doing...for the most part! The catch was...when, when the heck were all three of them going to find the time to work on the car and what the heck were we going to do for a second car?!
Well, again, Praise God that James' father had 3 cars and we were able to borrow one of them! Problem 1 solved! Now, when would MY car get fixed?! Well, it was a very slow process- trying to work on it on the weekends. Since James was out of town Tuesday-Thursday. Then with Bentley coming earlier than expected and being in the hospital longer than expected it just kept setting us back. Well, needless to say it finally was finished on Thursday July 9th!
James has since been driving it to work...just in case! He didn't want me to have it with the two kids and then have something happen to it! So far so good though! It drove soooooo nice, like a brand new car! The next thing to get fixed (or rather charged) is the "freeon"? (not sure on the spelling) anyway, it's so my air conditioning will be colder than what it was, YAY!
I am very excited, and very thankful to everyone that helped us out with it. We could not have done it without you! Thank you!

Mama's gotta a new car!!! Part 1

...Ok, not really a new car...but MY car is finally finished! New engine and all!

For those of you that don't know the story:



Back in February, Tuesday February 17th to be exact (don't ask how I remember that it's embarassing!) Angela and I ventured out to Target around 7pm. I started the car, and it sounded a little funny, but nothing that was alarming 'cause it was vibrating pretty bad once you'd start every once in a while and once you start driving it goes away. Anyway, so I started the car and it sounded funny but I thought nothing of, thinking it would go away after I hit the gas a bit. Well, it certainly did not. Instead of heading home I continued on to Target...praying and hoping that this horrible sound now was going to go away...well it didn't, in fact...it got a bit worse. It sounded like it was going crap out on me in the middle of an intersection on T.V highway. I was so nervous, but at this point I was closer to Target than home so I continued on and parked. Now, you're probably thinking...why didn't you call James or have him come listen to it to figure out what was going on...HA! I did do that...however, I had to do it over 1,000 miles away. Yea, that's right he was in Idaho...So, I call him and let him "try" and listen to the car...I had the hood up, am on the phone in the parking lot, I have my 4 year old still in the car when I see an Angel! I quickly told James that I had to go and dashed across the parking lot...there 2 parking spots across the lot is one of my co-workers and her HUSBAND! I very desperatley ask if he can lend a hand and help me maybe figure out what I should do with my car. So, he comes and listens and isn't really sure what I should do but suggests something simple and something that I could buy at Target. He even talked to my hubby, who I had to call back and explain why I had hung up so abruptly! So, I purchase what he thinks I need to make the car stop making this horendous noise and proceed to put it in my car. By the way I had like 5 people ask if I needed any help...as I was a woman, pregnant, hysterical, with a 4 year old and, did I already mention hysterical?! I was freaking out! After my great attempt failed I called James back who told me to call my father'n'law and ask him if he could come out and take a look at the car.

So, I call very desperate for anything and of course, he's practically out the door and on his way before I say anything more.

In the mean time I call my parents('cause they have AAA) to ask if *key word* IF (ok, so I was being really optimistic) I needed to be towed if they could call AAA for m and drive me home. Of course they say yes I just need to tell them when!

Anywho, so my Father'n'law shows up, I start the car, and then he looks at me with the most saddened depressed look EVER...shoot this can't be good news...yea, it wasn't good news...in fact it was worse news then I was anticipating...(so I was only being half optimistic before...) His, advice without taking anything apart, tow the car home...'cause my engine is DEAD. Of course I'm thinking ok...how do we fix it...his answer..."Buy a new engine..." GULP

I wanted to scream!

To be continued...

Girls Day Out!!

So, on Thursday July 2nd, we actually did it! We had a girls day!
Kelly,Shirl and I had a blast! We started our Girls Day with a much needed lunch! (I thought Shirlyn's tummy was going to swallow us all whole...ah yes, the joys of pregnancy! ) We decided to enjoy the delicious food of The Cheesecake Factory...since the two of them had never been there AND we were going to mall anyways! Oh, it was soooooo good! I decided to try something different (since I have been there a few times...ok...I'll be honest this trip to the CCF was actually my 6th visit...don't judge me!) I enjoyed a delicious salad that was FABULOUS!
After our delicious lunch we, of course, had to enjoy some delicous cheesecake! (Thank God I could eat some dairy again!!!!) I ordered their "special" Pineapple upside down cheesecake, YUM! Kelly ordered a Kaluha chocolate cheesecake...double YUM!! Shirlyn ordered this apple carmel pecan cheesecake...YUM,YUM,YUM!!!! We all shared, taking a few bites and then passing it on!! Oh, it was heaven I tell you! Thanks again Kelly!
Afterwards, we wandered the mall a bit...and we all actually bought stuff...which is weird for me...'cause I hate shopping!
I had a blast and Ben cooporated the entire time! He slept all through lunch and through most of our shopping...I stopped to nurse him once (which they have a special breastfeeding room near the restrooms there- AMAZING!!) Then he fell back to sleep until we got back home and I had to feed him again!
Once we got back home, Kelly had to head to work, but Shirlyn and I made our way back to my house where Angela (not my daughter) was waiting! The three of us got to continue the fun through the night...well, fun for us! We did a lot of catching up complete with an (almost) midnight pizza!
I'd love to do these Girls Day at least once a month! Let's see if we can't make it happen!
Thanks Girls for a great day and night!