To the Zoo

We made it to the zoo!!!! I was afraid of going this year because I knew it would be hard with a newer baby and with Colby being so close in age, especially because Colby is a runner but we had some friends that wanted to head out there for a play group and we REALLY needed to get out of the house so we took a leap and went. We had a great time and even with our little ones running all over the place it was great to spend time outside with other people. I also had a great group of mom's who completely understood what I was going through and helped in every way they could. It was wonderful to spend time with them.

If I've done a zoo post before I'm sure I have a lot of the same pictures as last time but we really do have a vibrant zoo considering how small it is. It's just about the perfect size for tiny legs. I can't wait to take my kids to a bigger zoo someday but for now we are happy with what we have here in Idaho falls.

I love the penguin enclosure even though it smells TERRIBLE. Hopefully one day I'll be more on the ball and we'll actually make it in time to watch them feed them. We've tried a few times but have always JUST missed it. This was the first time we've ever really seen them in the outdoor area of their home. It was a lot of fun.

Getting instructions and checking everything out. It was a little hectic start because we were meeting up with a few different people and we needed to keep the kids contained while we hung out but they had a fun time checking out as much as they could. I'm glad the kids enjoy playing with so many different people.

Roslyn had a great time being outside and involved with the group. It was fun to watch her as this was one of her first real outings, especially one where she spent almost the whole day in the stroller.

I don't know why but I love to come and check out these guys. They don't ever do anything but they are do interesting to look at, especially because they're so big! It was fun to see them this day because they seemed to want to come closer to us but they can't get past those posts and the guy in the back pinned the guy in the front and they kept on bumping and kicking each other like it was going to get them somewhere. It was just one of those things that made me laugh inside. Probably because it reminded me of my kids.

Just some of the wild life. I don't think I've ever gotten much of a chance to hang out at the flamingo enclosure but Colby and Riann liked checking them out because we had just watched an episode on flamingos on Cat in the Hat and they thought it was pretty cool to check them out up close.

This is usually the best part of the tiger and lion enclosures because we usually get out there in the middle of the summer, in the middle of the day, and the big cats aren't ever really active - if they're even out. The kids love these "statues" though and it's always fun to get a picture of them playing with them.

Just hanging out in the play area. The kids loved throwing the bark around. I wish that wasn't the most excited part of this area for them. They love getting dirty though.

A quick family picture before we left.

It was a really fun day and I'm so glad that we didn't miss out on this opportunity to see and play with friends even though it was a little harder to be out with a new one. We're excited to get back out there next summer and maybe get another family picture in this exa

More Summer Fun

This is just a quick update from a fun night at the neighbors from this summer. We had been wanting to go play with them but our schedules never seemed to match up so one day when everything finally aligned we had a pizza party over at their place and it was great to just sit around and visit. The kids loved the chance to run around and eat outdoors and Roslyn enjoyed the chance to be dressed down a little more than usual. As you can tell pizza and popsicles make any day, or messy face, SOOO much better!!!

Riann's Last Day of Preschool

Riann had her last day of preschool this last week and it was a lot of fun. This was her second semester at the preschool up on campus and she has had a great time learning. Because they ended during the summer her teachers decided to let them have a water day for their last day of class. They had a ton of fun water activities and they even let me bring up Colby and Roslyn to join Riann for the last part of class. Colby had a great time playing with the big kids and Roslyn did a great job hanging out while I helped in what little ways I could. Riann loved showing us everything about her classroom and getting wet where ever she could. It was a great day and I'm so glad we got to share it with her.

They had a fun bucket and pulley set up where one person filled a bucket at the bottom and another person pulled it up to the top of their "castle" and then the person on top poured it back through pipes that lead to a pump that the person on the bottom used to fill their big tub. It was fun to watch Riann get excited about how the whole cycle worked.

Colby loved being up top and helping dump the water back down to Riann. He made quite a mess but enjoyed every minute of it. This was his favorite inside activity.

Once we checked out everything inside, Riann wanted to show us all of the fun stuff they had going on outside. Everyone seemed to like the giant puddle they made in the middle of the play area the most but there were lots of other things to do.

Colby was in heaven playing with the big kids and he had a great time running around and checking out everything he could. It was a little hard to get him out of the fort outside and back in the car to go home. I can't wait until he's old enough to play here soon. He's gonna LOVE it!!

Riann and her lead teacher Ms. Stephanie. She was so kind to Riann and it was so fun to watch them interact.
We miss seeing her every week.

We are really hoping that Riann can get back in for the winter track in 2013 and that Colby can join her up there at the toddler labs. They really do a fantastic job at the campus preschool and we hope that the kids are accepted again. There is LOTS to learn!

The Ice Caves

Our second family adventure this summer was to the Ice Caves. Paul got to go out to them on a "field trip" with one of his Auto classes when he was in school and had a great time. I've been living out here for almost 10 years and hadn't been out to them yet. Paul's family was coming into town for his graduation and we were trying to figure out fun things we could do with them in town. We decided to head out to the caves to see if we could find them (so we weren't driving around in the dark if we decided to go out with family) and to just check them out.

They're really out in the middle of no where and if you didn't know where to look there's no way you would find them. Paul kept telling me "they're just up there" and I was expecting to see some kind of mountain with a cave at the base, kind of like you see at the beach, but all of the sudden we were there and looking at a giant hole in the ground. It was pretty cool. Paul explained to me that they are formed from lava tubes that have crumbled and when you get down there you can really see how it all "works". We didn't go any further than the edge because they're not made for kids but it was fun to see what they looked like and where they were. It was Roslyn's first real off-road adventure and quite a bumpy ride but Riann helped me keep her steady and she seemed to enjoy the ride and slept for a good portion of it.

Here are some photos from our adventure. The kids had a great time. Hopefully we'll be able to take them back out when they're older and really get to explore them. 

Checking out the entrance. Paul made sure to hold on tight so we didn't lose the kids over the edge. It was pretty steep.

The first photo on the left is the entrance from the top. To get to the entrance you had to hike down in the opposite direction into the "tube" and crawl through a hole that brought you down to the mouth of the cave. It was too steep and "crumbly" to climb straight down to the entrance.

We picked up some dinner on our way out there and had a "picnic" once we were there. Before we headed back for food I hiked down into one of the tubes for some pictures and got some shots of  Paul and the kids from up above.

The "car shot" from this adventure. Riann LOVED the mud and asked us to hit every mud puddle we could on the drive. It was fun to get a little dirty while we were out playing.

Just some fun shots from the area around us. We got a pretty awesome lightening show while we were out there and the photo on the bottom right is looking back at Rexburg from where we were.

Grandpa came to visit!!!

My dad came to visit for the weekend shortly after Roslyn was born. The kids had a blast playing with him here and at his hotel. It was a great visit, even if it was short. It was so wonderful to have family around for a little bit and we try to soak up every moment we can because we don't get to see family as often as we'd like. I wish we could be closer and see family more often but we're so grateful we can have visits like this that build so many sweet memories for the kids. They talk often about seeing grandpa and are always excited for his next visit.

The kids LOVE going swimming at grandpa's hotel. Every time we pass the hotel he stays in they ask if they can go see him and go swimming, even when he's not visiting. This visit he brought them life jackets and it was wonderful. Colby spent the whole time enjoying floating around and Riann was able to be independent and swim on her own. She loved it and it was so fun to watch her. She's getting so big!!

He brought the kids a bubble machine and they love playing with it. Colby would stand as close as he could to it and play. He'd sit there and let them pop in his face and just laugh from having so much fun.

Riann wouldn't stand still long enough for me to get a better picture of her. She loves being out in the bubbles and running around trying to "catch" as many as she could.

Before he left we made sure to get a picture of him with all of the kids.
They love him so much!!

Roslyn Angel Vreeken - 5.16.2012

SHE'S HERE!!!! Our dear Roslyn joined our family at about 6:30 on the evening of May 16th. It was a pretty interesting day and it was very unexpected that she was going to join us that evening but it ended up being just about as perfect as any "delivery day" could have been.

For a little bit of background on the big day... My brother Jesse celebrated his birthday on May 12th and in wishing him a happy birthday I had commented on Facebook about how I was bummed that the baby didn't and wasn't coming that day because I thought it would have been fun to have them share a birthday. My grandmother, Granny, had noticed my comment and reminded me that her birthday was on May 16th and gave us a goal to shoot for that day. I just laughed it off because both of the other kids took their time and didn't show any signs of coming before their due dates and both came right on time, so I didn't put any hope into her coming early (I was due May 21st).

That being said here's how everything worked out. Paul and I went to bed late on the 15th (technically I think it was the 16th because I think we went to bed about one or two that morning) and I had been having moderate contractions most of the night. I can't exactly say when they started because I wasn't really paying any attention to them because they weren't any worse than anything I had experienced up to that point in my pregnancy. When we finally got into bed I noticed they increased in pain when I laid on my side but still thought that they weren't anything special because everything hurt more when I laid down. Just to have a starting point, I decided to pull out my phone and track a few of them until I fell asleep. I figured that I wouldn't be able to sleep if they were THAT bad so I wasn't going to stress over them and see how it went. I had been having regular contractions for a few nights in a row but they were always gone the next morning so I didn't want to lose anymore sleep wondering wither or not the labor was real and because we had gone to bed so late already I decided to just ignore them and get some rest. 

The next morning Paul woke up for class and I got up with him to make breakfast. Since I had slept through the whole night, with the exception of my regular bathroom "breaks", I still didn't think I had any reason to believe we were going to end up in the hospital that evening. I noticed that I was still having pain with the few contractions I was having when I laid on my side but they were still 10+ minutes apart and I figured it was just in relation to a lot of the pain I had already with pregnancy in general. I went a head and went back to bed after getting Paul out the door and just tried to make sure I wasn't completely on my side and everything seemed to be fine.

Finally it was time to get up with the kids and get going for the day. Paul and I had made a plan to go see the new movie "The Avengers" that afternoon while he was between classes and I didn't want to miss that last date. As I was in denial about the whole thing happening, I went a head and called the doctors office that morning to make sure my induction was properly scheduled for the 21st and that I had all the information I needed to get that going. I then set the kids up for breakfast and got ready for the day. Once we were all fed and changed we relaxed a little bit before heading over to the neighbors house to drop off the kids. I had even chatted a little with my dad on the phone that morning and told him that I wasn't sure what was going on but I was pretty sure there was nothing to get excited about. We had even joked about how wonderful it would be to have the baby on Granny's birthday but I told him I was sure I wouldn't get that lucky. He agreed with me and then we talked about how great the movie was and he had gotten me more excited to see it. After we said goodbye, I did however decide to hold off on calling Granny to wish her a Happy Birthday JUUUUST in case something happened that evening.

While I was getting ready I had stopped to go to the bathroom (sorry if that's too much information) and while doing my business I felt some kind of snap/pop but thought it was just the baby kicking me in a weird way because she had a tendency to do that, only this time it stood out to me as a little odd. But because nothing else happened immediately after that I, once again, ignored the idea something was going to happen that day and kept getting ready.

After we rushed out the door to get the kids over to our neighbors house made it to the movie theater to meet up with Paul about 5 minutes before the movie started. We got our tickets and ordered some food and as always I stopped in at the bathroom to take care of business before the movie started. It was at that point where I finally had to accept I was having a baby that day, I just didn't know how soon. When going to the bathroom I realized I was actually bleeding and the timing couldn't have been any less perfect. I hurried and got myself together and walked out to tell Paul what was going on. We talked to the people at the concession counter and asked them to hold off on making our food until we checked in with our doctors to see if we needed to hurry and do anything. After making the phone call and chatting with a nurse and explaining that we wanted to see a movie before coming in, if we weren't in any danger of holding off. She told us we were okay to wait until my contractions became more than I could handle or anything major happened in the mean time. Because my contractions were still 10+ minutes apart and I wasn't really in any pain we decided to stick with the original plan and stay for the movie. The girl at the concession stand thought I was crazy but I really was feeling pretty good, all things considered. I texted my dad to make sure that I had updated someone about what was going on but told him not to tell anyone yet because I didn't want to get anyone excited. I still thought there was a good chance my labor would roll over into the next day.

As we watched the movie I continued to track contractions on my cell phone and I had a few that came closer together but for the most part they stayed pretty consistent at 10 minutes apart. I also didn't have any increases in pain so I thought I was good for a while. After enjoying the movie I sent Paul back up to campus for his lab and told him I'd call him if anything changed. I then called our babysitter and updated her on what was going on and asked if she'd be okay watching the kids for a little longer while I went in to our doctors office to have everything checked out and to see where I was. She graciously offered to keep the kids for as long as I needed and so I shot into town to go see what was really going on.

Once at the doctors office they got me all set up and checked me out. As my doctor was checking me he was kind of talking out loud and as he was going it seemed as though we was starting to say that I was dilated somewhere between a 4 and a 5.  However when he made his final decision he said I was at a 7 and none of us (the nurse, the doctor or me) could believe I was that far along. I kind of yelled out at him and asked him if he was joking. I didn't think it was possible that I was that far along and both he and the nurse laughed at me and they were surprised I had waited so long to come up to the office, and that I wasn't in any more pain than I was. It was finally at that point I realized we were going to have a baby this evening and she really was going to share a birthday with my grandmother.

After getting dressed again I asked him what my time frame was and if I could run home before doing anything more. I hadn't packed anything or prepared the kids to be at the babysitters for as long as they had been, and he just looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Cheris, you're going up to the hospital now. You don't have time to go home and if you don't go up there on your own I'm going to make one of the nurses here drive you". The nurse even questioned my ability to drive myself up there and told me she would be more than happy to take me if I wasn't comfortable with the idea. I knew I was okay to drive so I declined the offer and went straight up to the hospital. I was a little bummed that I couldn't get home to grab my camera and some of the other basic stuff I needed but I did what I was told. On my way there I texted my dad again to update him but told him to still not tell anyone because I wanted to break the news to everyone myself and when I was ready. I was also still in shock about what was actually going on. On my way up to the hospital I shot Paul a text to update him but told him to stay in class until I had a real plan/idea for what was going on.

Once I got to the hospital I went straight to the check-in desk and chatted with the girl who was there working. She laughed at me too, not believing I was in labor because things up to that point still weren't that bad and I was more happy, and at ease, than another mother who had checked in before me, who was that far along in their labor. I was, however, starting to get nervous because Paul was still in class, and it was my fault as I had told him to not come yet (it's a good thing the hospital is so close to the school). I had never done anything this big on my own and so as I was going through the steps the panic started to set in. I was also sad because I didn't get to take any of the final pictures I was hoping to take that evening and even now I keep kicking myself for not telling Paul to come sooner.

Once I was checked in our doctor met up with me in my room to get me started, he wanted to break my water to get me going as quickly as possible but I told him that I still hadn't told Paul to come yet and I for sure wanted to get an epidural. He rolled his eyes at me again, I think he still couldn't believe I was still in denial about how far a long I was, and told me he wasn't going to break my water until Paul was there because he was pretty sure I'd be done before he made it if we started at that point. He wanted to give Paul as much time as possible go get there. I finally made the call and told Paul to come. While we were waiting we got started on the epidural and Paul showed up just as they were sticking the needle in my back. I'm sure the nurse was grateful for his timing because she gave Paul responsibility for holding my hands shortly there after, as I was squeezing hers pretty hard due to how nervous I was. Once my epidural was all set, and Paul was there, doctor Jones broke my water and we started waiting. During that time we finally updated everyone and let them know we were having the baby and it would only be a matter of time before she was there. About an hour later we were ready to start pushing. It took about 20 minutes and about 5-10 (I honestly can't remember how many times I had to push) really good pushes she was here in perfect form.The hardest part of the actual pushing was trying not to laugh because the nurses and our doctor kept talking about the "new pushing procedure" as I was pushing and I couldn't figure out if I was doing it right. It made it really hard to focus mid push as I was getting different instruction from each person and listening to the side comments in the room.

After she came and we were both cleaned up, they gave her to me and we got settled in and started feeding. Once Roslyn and I were set Paul ran off to get the kids and to bring me up some of the stuff I would need for the rest of my stay at the hospital. The kids were very excited to come up and meet their new sister, although Colby was more excited for my new water bottle and all of the "new" things he could touch in my hospital room while we weren't looking. They stayed with me for about an hour before everyone left for home and went to bed. After they left I got to call and tell Granny Happy Birthday, and share the good news with her. It was very exciting to share that "gift" with her. I not sure what great-grand child Roslyn is for them but it makes me very happy that they have that day to share together. I can't wait for them to meet!!

Overall it was a very interesting day and it was quite amazing to see how quickly our family dynamic would change. That first night in the hospital spoke wonders for how things are going to be now but I'm so grateful for my beautiful family and for the love and joy they give me. I am amazed daily by how lucky I am for the children the Lord has blessed me with and can't thank Him enough for the many small wonders in my life. Even though we are still working on getting sleep and adjusting to Roslyn's styles and preferences (3 weeks later) we're doing good and love each other deeply.

We are VERY blessed.

These are from the first night. Paul had just brought up the kids and we had asked the nurse to wait to bathe her until they were there so the kids could watch. They were very happy to be there and loved seeing Roslyn get her first bath.

Roslyn on the other hand was NOT happy about the bath. She reacted exactly like the other two kids did. I can't wait to see how her picture compares to the other kids!!

After the kids left and Roslyn was all cleaned up we got time to cuddle and love each other. She slept well that first night and was just the sweetest baby ever.

They moved me into a recovery room the next day, we had to wait until another mother left because they were a little "over booked" this time around. The kids were SO excited to explore the new room and had a blast playing in the cupboards. The nurse laughed at them when she came in to check us out because she had never seen anyone play in them or have as much fun with them as Riann and Colby were having.

Finally ready to go home. Right before we checked out we had our nurse take our first picture as a family of five. We're so lucky to have each other!!

This was our first morning at home. Both kids were very excited to see Roslyn that morning and to have her with us. They couldn't get over how cute she was and wanted to hold her as much as possible. She on the other hand wasn't too excited about being handled so much but she's getting much better at sitting with her brother and sister and seems to enjoy time with them a little more... or at least for a longer stretch of time.

My mom came out to help with everything and the kids loved it. She originally planned on coming the week after my due date because I was sure Roslyn wouldn't be making an early appearance and we thought that it would be safe for her to book her flight out when things would be better situated at her school. Thankfully she was able to change her flights last minute and come out earlier than we planned and play with the kids. They LOVED having her here and it took a little bit of time for them to adjust back to just having me as their only playmate when she was gone. Riann still tells us that Grandma came to visit "just her" and that she didn't come to see anyone else.

Our first bath at home. She's still not in love with baths. I hope that changes soon.

Just a few cute photos of her sleeping around the house. She is our beautiful angel.

We tried to take a few pictures of all of them together. We were getting ready for bed the other night and thought this idea would be fun. It took a little coaxing to get Riann to stay in her pink pajamas because she wanted to match Colby and wear her blue pajamas instead, she wakes up almost every morning in different pajamas then what we put her to bed in. Roslyn was also VERY ready to eat and was NOT happy that we were delaying her meal because we wanted to take photos.

I have been dying for one of my babies to wear this dress. I was given it with Riann, in a bundle of hand-me-downs my cousin gave to us. I wanted her to wear it so bad but we still had quite a bit snow when she was born and it didn't fit by the time things warmed up. After we found out we were having a boy the second time around I decided it wasn't going to happen so I set it aside and decided to give it to a friend who had recently had a summer baby but by the time I got to go visit it was too big for her little girl too. I went a head and kept it, hoping again that I'd get to use it some day. As I was picking out a new outfit for Roslyn after a bath I found it in a bunch of stuff I had washed and set aside. I was so excited to put it on her and it was still a little small but sooo cute. She only got to wear it for about an hour because she exploded all over her onesie but I'm so glad I got to use it a little bit. I think she'll wear it again soon, even if it is a little small, but I don't want to miss out on her getting to wear it as much as possible, especially before she out grows it completely.

This was her first day outside. I had been tired of sitting around the house and the kids hadn't really had a chance to go out and play since my mom had left. After my mom went home our weather turned and we had been locked up inside just watching the rain fall. We had a decent break in the rain, although we still had quite a bit of wind, but our cabin fever was so bad we just HAD to get out. It was nice to get some fresh air and I think Roslyn liked the breeze just a little bit too.

My grandmother, Grandma Jones, sent Riann and Roslyn matching dresses before Roslyn was born. I've been waiting for our first Sunday back at church to have them wear them together. We finally got to do that this Sunday. Riann was SOOO excited to match her sister. I think I'm going to have to go out and find more matching dresses for her and Roslyn. We also wanted to make sure Colby matched too. We took the pictures before church because I thought the kids would have been harder to work with after church... I think I should have reconsidered my time frame. They're all still super cute though.
I love these guys!!!

These are some of the more recent pictures we have of her. We had a beautiful day this week and after she had slept all day, while the kids and I played outside, I decided it was time for her to join us. She is so sweet and I'm grateful for her presence in our home. We love you baby girl!!!!

Together Time

In the days leading up to the arrival of Roslyn I wanted the make sure the kids had some fun toys to play with around the house so we didn't have to "go out" as much but we could still feel like we got out and had a good time. After a walk around the neighborhood one afternoon we noticed that a neighbor up the street had a swing set in their backyard but they were selling their house and they weren't using it anymore. We decided to take a shot and ask them if they would be willing to part with it and they said if we could go pick it up and get it secure enough to use we could have it. The kids have LOVED having it around and they use it almost every day we make it outside. We are so grateful for our neighbors kindness and that they were willing to allow us to take from them. This swing set has been such a blessing for us.

The kids playing on their new swing set. They LOVE being outside and playing on it.

I was also able to find a sand/water table at a garage sale here in Rexburg and the kids LOVE this too. They haven't been able to play with this toy quite as much because Roslyn joined us the day after we picked it up and then we started getting typical Spring weather, windy and wet, so we didn't get too much time to get out and play with it. The last few days have been nice and the kids have enjoyed getting out and playing with it quite a bit. We've had it for about three weeks now and we already have to refill the sand. It's amazing how fast they can empty all of that. It'll be a struggle keeping it "full" for the rest of the summer. I'm so glad we have it though. It's nice and compact and the kids enjoy getting into it and getting "dirty". I can't wait to use this more and more of the summer.

This was on the evening we got it filled with sand. They were VERY excited to get out and start using it.

Another thing I wanted for this summer was a pool for the kids to cool down in.  We've had pools in the past and they have never worked out for us because they were just too big for our little guys. I finally decided to go smaller, after we had played in the pool over at our neighbors house a few times last summer, and so we got this cute little one at Walmart. So far Colby is the one that seems to love it the most but it's been great to have around. We've had a few really nice days this summer and I just enjoy sitting outside with the kids while they each get to play with their own thing and just enjoy the sunshine.

Cooling off in the warm sun. This was our last afternoon together before Roslyn joined us. It was a great afternoon and we were so grateful for the relaxing time together before we expanded to a family of five. These kids are amazing!!!

I would have never thought that "yard toys" would be a big blessing in my life but having these things for the kids to play with have been so wonderful. I was very scared about having a spring baby because after our long winters I knew the kids would have a hard time staying in doors with nice weather outside. I've been nervous about the idea of taking the kids to the park by myself now that we've for a new baby, especially because Colby is my little dare devil and he needs someone close by any time he wants to start climbing. I didn't know how I was going to do that with my hands already full with the baby. Being able to stay close to home while we transition to our new life has been wonderful for us and the kids haven't missed a beat or complained about a day at the park now that they have their own "park" in the backyard.