Milestones

This newest milestone happened upon our family by accident last night. Neither Brandon or I remembered to put Kameryn in a diaper before putting her to bed. Kameryn has been potty trained for quite a while now, but nap time and bedtime have never been her expertise. So to save us in sheet washing, Kami sleeps in a diaper. As I aforementioned, we forgot last night, and SURPRISE!! instead of waking up to a disaster, Kameryn woke up dry as can be. GO KAMI G!!! Of course, I am taking this as more of a fluke than a revelation of things to come and so she will be going to bed in a diaper tonight. But, I will pay special mind to the condition of her diaper from now on, if she's dry repeatedly, we may have reached a turning point.
Another fun milestone, Cooper is walking like crazy! He has been for quite a while now but, I guess I have just never posted about it. He is a madman on feet. I am coming to find that boys are A LOT of work. He's crazy, always into everything, darting from one place to another, and making messes like a tornado! Got to love boys. He is also really mischievous and adventurous. Kami was never so daring. At this point, I am almost hoping for a little girl, I don't know if I could handle the terror that would be two little guys. Of course, it would be fun, just crazy. I already feel like I need another set of eyes because I am getting whiplash from always searching for him. What will I do with 3 kids. I'm just glad I had Kami first. She is such a big help and she has such a nurturing personality. She is always helping me with everything, cooking, cleaning, Cooper... the list goes on. She is such a good big sister, always looking out for her brother. I am lucky to have her.
Oh, and one last milestone. I have not been paying very close attention to this pregnancy (as far as how far along I am, etc.) But I am starting to notice recurrences in my pregnancies, such as my eye twitching, and it got me wondering, how far along am I exactly. Well, the other night, I had an experience that made me go: "Wait! No way!" Guess what, YES WAY! I felt my baby move! It was SOOO awesome. It was just the fluttering feeling but it was unmistakable. So, I looked it up, and I am 16 weeks along. Crazy! I thought I was only 13 or 14 (Like I said, I am not keeping very good track) Anyway, it was so much fun. I went clothes shopping yesterday and walked through all the baby clothes. I am so excited for this little one! I cannot (but can) wait.

Official

It is official - WE ARE HOMEOWNERS!!! AAGH! We just signed the final papers at the title company this morning and we got the key from our realtor. It is crazy thinking we own a home - crazy and expensive! Yikes! I am so excited...but nervous...but mostly excited. Just thought we would let everyone in on the loop. By the way, all housewarming gifts and money can now be sent our way...just so you know. We are accepting large and small bills. (I'm totally kidding, but not....ok yes I am.)

Our House

After much begging, pleading, etc. I finally am posting a pic of our new house. Actually, I've had this taken for quite a while, I just forgot about it and when I was uploaded photos from my camera today I came across it. So, enjoy.

By the by, the house does need a little TLC in the yard department and those little tree shrubs have GOT TO GO! But we are excited for the potential. I am also excited to finally get to open up those blinds on the covered porch and let some light into the poor little thing. The house is just starving for love, but we are SOO excited! I promise to post more pics of the inside and improved exterior after it is officially ours. We can't wait!!!

Hidden Places

Just a quick book recommendation. I have been reading a lot of christian romance novels (I know, scoff if you must.) I read them because they are easy, quick, and much like watching a chick flick. They offer me a nice breather on hectic days. My only complaint is that often they are too "fluffy", shall we say. The characters and story lines are often undeveloped and I find myself wanting a little more substance. But, because of my fear of conflict, war, or anything remotely scary, I don't often venture past the romance novel. And, after some close calls with blindly picking romance novels, I no longer take chances on non-christian writers without a peer recommendation.
So here is my plug for all you readers (Jandee) to offer me your suggestions on good reads. Gwen recently gave me a recommendation (seeing that I have now successfully read her entire library) and while it wasn't out of the christian romance novel genre I found it much more satisfying. The characters were well developed and very lovable. Each one brought you into their story and you ached for their pain and rejoiced at their triumphs. The plot skillfully crafted with the right amount of conflict, intrigue, and mystery (for me at least). And, the best thing about it, it had be wishing it wasn't about to end as I neared the end of it's 400 some odd pages that I finished in less than a day. (So it was still a quick read, which satisfies the requirements of a busy mom.)
The book is entitled "Hidden Places" and was written by Lynn Austen (I'm not sure on the spelling) Just thought I would share. Don't expect Charles Dickens, but for a christian romance novel, it is probably the best I've read. (I don't think you can count Louisa May Alcott as a christian writer, but if so, check out "A Long Fatal Love Chase" as well. It has been years since I read this one, but I remember loving it!)

Mumble Jumble

I am sure all of our devoted blogging fans are wondering where we are and what happened to us. Well, nothing, actually...I just haven't blogged. Truthfully, that is not all together correct. Plenty has happened here, including our internet being slightly out of commission. It still works, but our router doesn't and so to log-on I have to plug my computer into the wall and sit in a little remote and messy corner. So, I've avoided doing anything on the internet that takes much time (and since I am very long winded, blogging is one of those things that takes too much time.) We have also had a slightly ironic turn of events which landed me and the kids down in Utah while Brandon was stuck here all alone. (We still had a wonderful time, and got a lot accomplished, it was just hard knowing he was here by himself) After that, we've been busy with canning (73 jars of green beans, all of them sealed! Not to mention all the jam, pickles, and salsa I did at my mom's house and all the jam, peaches, and tomatoes yet to come!) and a perpetual stream of cleaning and late nights. And I'm afraid it is only going to get worse in the coming days/weeks.
Rumor has it we may be closing on the 20th. I'm not holding my breath and so I will wait until the closing date on the paperwork, which is the 25th. And, although neither one of those days is further away than a week (AAGH!) I still have yet to pack. What am I thinking?! Actually, I know what I'm thinking....no wait, I don't. I should be packing instead of blogging! There is just so much to do that I don't know where to start and my life is already in such a state of disarray and confusion that I am afraid to start packing because I know it will only make things worse. (Of course, cleaning wouldn't be as time consuming if everything was packed up, I just can't bring myself to do it. I HATE moving!)
Nicole, my sister-in-law by love, but not yet by marriage, will be leaving on her mission soon, which will put us down in Utah again next week for her mission farewell (if all goes as planned). Brandon and I's anniversary comes around the corner on the 29th. And, on top of all of this, our new ward is already vying for our membership. Oh, I also start piano lessons the beginning of September and I have 3 new students so far (hopefully more to come, but at the same time I'm already panicky enough as it is about the 4 students I already have...)
Brandon starts harvest as well in September. That usually keeps me a single mother until November. Which launches us into the holiday season and than shortly after that, a new family member. Suffice it to say, I find our lives getting more exciting and chaotic by the moment. Which is a wonderful thing, I do much better when there is a lot to be done, and I am excited for the new changes and new beginnings that are to come.
Whew!...that's a lot! Thank you to all our friends and family who are helping us as well as tolerating us through all of this. I know I couldn't do it without you guys. As quickly as I hope this pregnancy will turn out to be with all that is going on in our lives from now till then, I am thinking that maybe with my next pregnancy I will time it so I won't be moving during it (at least not during the pukey phase like I am with this one and I was with Cooper....maybe that is why I hate moving so much. It's enough of a hassle without having to stop every 30 minutes to puke in the toilet.)

Giggles Galore

So, the best thing about our visit down to Utah was our little girl. She was a hoot! I mean seriously, that girl was full of one-liners. Like when she unbuckled her seatbelt in the middle of Utah freeway traffic and I freaked out, telling her not to ever do that again or the police man would come and get her and put her in jail. I corrected myself and told it would probably be me that got taken away and she said to me "I want the mean man to take you away so he can take care of me." She didn't say it because she was mad at me, it was more of a "hmm, I wonder what that would be like" kind of statement. That was actually how the majority of her one-liners were. She wasn't trying to be funny, it was just her childlike curiosity and perception of things that had us all rolling on the ground.
I believe it was Nicole that mentioned Kameryn probably sat around coming up with these funny things so that I could put them on the blog. She's right, Kameryn and I are a tag team, working together to bring you daily doses of Bowen Blog bliss. So here you go, our favorite "one-liners"

Kami and I where sitting outside on the lawn, catching up after a long day of playing when Kameryn glanced up at the sky and said "Hey look mom, that cloud is melted!" Now I am no cloud expert and so I cannot tell you what kind of cloud it was, but, in reality, it looked like a big cloud had melted in the sky. Ironically, it was right next to the sun. Cute!

The next one I wasn't there for but my dad retold the story of how he had told Kameryn he would come back outside and push her on the swing after he had gone to the bathroom. Kameryn called after him "Okay Grandpa. Be careful you don't fall in!" Apparently, my dad concluded, falling in the toilet must be a serious concern for little girls.

The next and final two "one-liners" came at dinner time on Sunday. The first, and my personal favorite, was when Kami looked at me and pointed to her mashed potatoes "I need some more of this potato drink." It took a couple repeats for me to make sure that I had really heard what I thought I had, and I had Kameryn needed "potato drink" for her potatoes. After that one, she went down and hopped up next to my mom, "what's that?" she asked. When my mom responded that it was salt Kami said. "White salt! My mommy has black salt."

I just thought of one more funny Kami moment, and while this one didn't happen down in Utah, it still had me saying "what did you say?" We had just gotten back from our family reunion and Brandon and I had forgotten there was ice in our cooler until I went to give it to Gwen to borrow. I opened up the lid and made some remark about forgetting about the ice. Kameryn then bent over and looked inside the cooler "Holy crap! Look at all that water!" "What did you just say?" I said as I shook my head in disbelieve. "I said, holy crap, look at all that water!" The funny thing about this story both Brandon, I, and Gwen all thought we were responsible for teaching her that saying. It's a good thing that that is about as vulgar as our language get or we would be in trouble.

Silly Kami, you are definitely a wonder to behold. You always keep me on my toes. By the by, the pic of Kami is one of her hilarious outfits. She won't let me dress her anymore and she has to get dressed in a new outfit every hour. This one was too cute not to photograph. (Oh, and she always likes to go for the monochromatic look. "Look, my matches!")

Birthday Girl!

Happy Birthday to our little girl! I can't believe it has been 3 whole years. It doesn't seem that long, yet at the same time, it seems longer. Funny how that works. Kami, we love you! You bring so much joy and excitement to our lives. We are so grateful to have you in our family. Happy Birthday Baby!

A Honeymoon?

Brandon and I never had a honeymoon. We got married right before school started, plus we were poor. We then got pregnant three months later so we never really got the opportunity. Of course, we have NO regrets! We wouldn't have done it differently, but we often wonder what it would be like to get away for a little bit, just the two of us.
Our anniversary is coming up at the end of August and so thoughts have begun to turn towards celebration. I thought it would be nice to go down to Logan and eat at Hamilton's (I've only eaten there twice, but I love it!) I pondered how nice it would be to actually be able to afford to stay in a hotel while we were down there, but threw the idea out.
Well, guess what!!! The opportunity has provided itself! Brandon and I won a nights stay at Sherwood Hills in Logan. Along with a meal, breakfast in bed, and a 50 minute massage! AAGH! Can you believe it? Our room will even have a nice jacuzzi tub (I LOVE tubs when I am pregnant) I still can't believe this is happening to us. First of all, Brandon and I have never won ANYTHING! Secondly, we won playing the Newlywed Game. We NEVER win that game. I can not believe it. I am so excited! We owe a huge thanks to Aunt Jana who organized the game at our family reunion and provided the prizes.
Another fun thing that came from this: Gwen and I went out for a girls night to get fitted for bras and we just happened to hit Dillards during their annual bra sale and so we TOTALLY scored! We are talking $50 bras for $10! YEAH!
So, even though I am pregnant and Brandon and I have been married for 4 years, we are getting a nice little break/"honeymoon". It comes at a good time, especially with all the stress of moving and Harvest sneaking up on us. (Plus, I'm just barely pregnant. I'm at the best stage: almost over the nausea, but not far enough along to be huge!)
Thanks Aunt Jana, we are so excited! We can't believe our luck.

Bug be Gone!

I am a little apprehensive in posting this, because I hate to count my cookies before I end up tossing them....but, I am thinking the cookie tossing part of this Egyptian flu of mine might be over....lets cross our fingers. I am getting less nauseous everyday. While I am definitely still feeling the queasiness, it is no longer all consuming. Usually night time is the only time I start running towards the bathroom. Good Deal! Of course, as pregnancy would have it, I am trading one symptom for another. My hips are starting to hurt when I sleep (sad since I am only a little over 12 weeks) and my belly is picking days to start showing. Not everyday though, some days I just look chunky (I am in that stage: "is she fat, or is she pregnant") A lot of that is my own fault though, since I never really made an effort to loose my Cooper weight before I decided to put on more baby weight.
I am so excited though. I can't think of anything more miserable that I would rather be doing right now. Just kidding! As sick as I get, I love being pregnant. I can't wait until I start being able to feel this little one inside of me, that is my favorite part. It is also going to be neat to be big pregnant in the winter. I haven't experienced that yet so I am excited! We really can't wait for this little one and we are so excited to have it. All the throwing up/nausea has definitely been worth it, just to be pregnant.
Maybe since I am finally feeling a little more human, I can finally go to Olive Garden.... (ha! I'll wait another month, I don't want a repeat of last time I went when I was pregnant...)

Stinky Boy

Do you know, it never occurred to me that boys were just stinky by nature. Guess what, they are! At least our little guy is. Of course, by this time we all know he has earned his nickname "Cooper the Super Pooper", but, unfortunately, this child does not reserve his stink for just his diapers. Cooper is now officially the 2nd of two very gassy children. Luckily, Kami outgrew it, so there is possibly some hope for little Coop.
Here is the real kicker though, if Cooper doesn't get at least one bath a day he develops this very boy, very Cooper, odor. We were out and about yesterday and Brandon got a whiff of Cooper. He suggested that maybe we buy Coop some cologne. What is it about the chemicals in a boy that makes them stink just because they are male? I pose this question because I grew up with 4 brothers, 4 stinky brothers. My sisters never smelled as bad as they did (I probably did though...)
Poor Cooper, it's not his fault he stinks. If his parents were more responsible and bathed him everyday he would never stink, well... at least not too bad. I guess I'll have to be better about that.
By the way, Cooper is walking more and more everyday. He is starting to prefer trying to walk to places as opposed to crawling. He is getting pretty good. I think he has made it 5 ft quite a few times. Go Coop!