{s-a-t-u-r-d-a-y NIGHT!}

An insight into this week for the Bergens!

First, we have tons of quail in the backyard. They are really sweet, we always see Mothers and their babies running around together. On Sat, one fell through the grate on top of the window well in our room. I kept hearing "chirping" and went to investigate and found this little guy! Can you spot him?

Then that night was Dusty's open house, this is him and his buddy.

My beautiful babies...Shay's a little bugged, haha!

Dusty brought back some of the most beautiful things I've ever seen! He went into all the history of the Aztecs. He brought us all home one gift- which was so generous!

This is what he brought home for me, its an Aztec calender, all hand crafted. My jaw hit the floor! Its so beautiful and now sits on top of our entertainment center. I love it!

Awaiting guests to arrive- some of these people I haven't seen in 5 years! (Isn't Shaylin gorgeous???)

I couldn't stay away from the food! Ahhh! 

My cuties, they were much more interested in the punch...haha, Mike, who is on the right, is Dusty's best friend.

My Dad made a video with pictures of Dusty out in the field, I couldn't watch it and NOT cry! I'm just so proud of him!

Ah...some things never change....

..and some things do! My "little" brother now towers over me! (ignore the hair- I had been swimming)

Mom, Shay and Lenny relaxing after the guests left.

We're glad this kid is back in our lives!

{HE'S HOME!}

He's home!!!!!!!!

my mom holding up the sign I made...

                                                          ...his flight was a little late...

 

                                                                     us waiting....

                                                                        Killing time....

                                                          ... is that him??? YES! It is!

it was a very sweet and tearful reunion...I bawled like a baby...I was fine until I saw tears of joy running down Dusty's face; then I just lost it!

-thats how i picture it will be when i (WE ALL) die...tears of joy flowing and us embracing with our loved ones on the other side

we're reunited after two years!

...still a good lookin' guy!

there were THREE other missionaries on the same flight, all coming home. This is them with their parents

brady meeting uncle dusty...they hit it right off!!!!!!!!!! which is HUGE for brady...he didn't even like Ryan the first 6 months of his life.

huggin lenny...

meeting Shay Shay...

this is what she thought of him....

I have a bazillion more pictures but its very late so it will have to be done later!!

For those of you wondering, I know you are, he plans to start at CGCC and then transfer to ASU, majoring in Child Protection.

He also has been challenged to go on a one-on-one date within the next 2 weeks!

Anyone know anyone cute and single? :)

{Obsessed...}

I think I have OCD. 

Really I think I do.

I find one thing I like and I just totally over-do it. Nothing in moderation here! 

THIS weeks obsession? I LOVE looking at houses online! Like looking for houses that we would be interested in buying when Ryan graduates next year. I love cyber-shopping for houses! I pull them up on craigslist.com and then I like to pull up Zillow.com and run all the properties' numbers! The site says when it was sold last, if it was ever in foreclosure, etc. They have every property there, including ours (and yours).

You may ask yourself why a person who isn't looking to buy anytime in the immediate future would engage in such a waste of time. I have one simple answer for you: I have no idea! Like I said, I'm obsessed. The computer cries to me in the other room to come and look and I fight it but always cave. I just love to fantasize about 'oh what we got this one?' or 'wow! this one has granite!' or 'look how small our mortgage would be!!' Like I said, obsessed, can't get enough. Can't.

 

(isn't that beautiful??)

Ryan thinks I'm silly, I find what I'm looking for and get all jazzed about it and he has to remind me that THIS particular property isn't going to still be on the market next year and if it were we probably wouldn't want it. I just see so much potential in these houses. With the market being soooo low I'm just excited about our opportunities! So shoot me!

Why yes, we own property already. Two houses too many to be frank. We rent them out. This year we're turning a small profit on them. I guess that's why I let my imagination run wild, I would love to buy a cheap foreclosure.

 

(THIS house is only 93k!)

Another obsession this week of mine? (yes, two- its been a busy week!) I love those large soft peppermints you can buy at walmart or CVS or wherever. The ones that literally melt in your mouth on your tongue the instant you pop one into your mouth. 

This week alone I've eaten two bags! Good thing they're only like 60 calories for 6 or something like that or I'd be sunk!

...off to go buy more mints...

{Just Call Us Hippies...}

Yes it's true...for the next 7-10 days our family will be going all organic (Not sure if Ryan is on board but the rest of us are). 

Brady is having digestive issues and has for a long time, I thought it was just HIM, but the more I talk with our pediatrician the more I am realizing I think his issues steam from diet. Not to say that we eat unhealthy, we're pretty good about eating fresh, eating fruits and vegis and taking our vitamins. But I'm thinking he has a lactose intolerance (which runs on my side of the family). I bought fresh everything and soy milk, (which costs a fortune, FYI)

I've been eating all organic for a while now (thats not to say I don't enjoy an occasional Big Mac because I do!)

But once I switched to organic my migraines went away, my aches and pains went away, my mood improved. I have more energy, more stag-ma, and best of all weigh what I weighed in Junior High.

I've been wanting to switch the family for some time now, but let's face it: eating organic is insanely expensive. But with my little guy having issues we need to do this.

So we're trying this for the next 10 days and we'll see where it gets us!

{This IS Serious!}

Ok HAD to write this down....Shaylin is doing this new thing where she totally cracks up at everything Alenna says or does (Shaylin in honestly the happiest baby ever) So we're running errands and we park and Ryan runs into the store by himself and I stay in the car with the kids. Our dialogue went something like this:

Alenna: "Mommy! I want a balloon!"

Me: "No Alenna, daddy is just getting a few things then we're going to go eat"

Alenna: "But I REALLY want one!! Please!!!"

Me: "Alenna, I said NO. Dont bug me about it or I'm going to spank you..."

This went on for a while...like 10 minutes she begged for a balloon

Alenna is in hysterics at this point. All over a stupid balloon. 

Alenna:..."BUT I WANT ONE!!!" 

-I hear Shaylin laughing....-

Alenna: "Shaylin! It's NOT FUNNY! Stop laughing!!"

-I hear heavier baby laughing-

Alenna: bawling..."SHAYLIN!!! STOP LAUGHING AT ME!! THIS IS SERIOUS!"

-Shaylin is totally cracking up at this point...-

Alenna: screaming... "SHAYLIN!! YOU STOP LAUGHING RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!! Mommy, she WON'T stop laughing at me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

At this point I'm hysterically cracking up which of course infuriates Alenna even more. At this point Ryan enters the SUV to find two of his girls hysterically laughing and one of his girls hysterically crying....oh the humanity!

{Father's Day...}

Dedicated to my baby-daddy!

Sunday was Father's Day!! My kids are so blessed to have such great men in their lives!

I over-slept on Sunday morning: We have 8am church (yuck) so when I realized my alarm had been going off for 20 minutes I panicked and jumped out of bed.

First we gave our daddy gifts, he got a notebook with pictures of him playing with our kids, these pics I am posting are the ones.

We thought with daddy being a full time student it would be a fun gift for him!

We also got him an HD video camcorder that records under water- and if you know Ryan you know WHY it needed to be water-proof! (I don't even know HOW many of his phones we've needed to replace because they always 'somehow' end up in water!)

and of course the case for it!

I made a huge breakfast of egg omelets and sausage. We then FLEW to church-still being late I might add.

Then Ryan got a 3 hour nap afterwards and we went to my family's for a big dinner.

All in all, I'd say he had a pretty good day!

Ryan in all honesty is such a great father- he's wanted kids (and alot of them!) since the day I met him. He loves playing with our children, he will call and talk to each one individually at bedtime if he is working.

That, and a million other reasons melts my heart.

Even on the worst days as a parent, when I've hit the bed in complete exhaustion and frustration he just smiles up at me and says, "Isn't this great?" and he REALLY means it.

My favorite Father-memory of him though is when I told him he would be a father for the first time. 

We had been married a year and weren't really trying for a baby, though in our hearts were wanting one.

He was still tech-ing and went to work early. I bought a test and tested right in the Wal Mart bathroom because I was so excited I just couldn't wait to drive 2 minutes home.

I called him up, and asked where he was...we had a big argument the night before so he was still bugged (probably something to do with my pregnancy hormones I'm sure!)

He thought I was driving out to see him to apologize.

I got out of my car, pregnancy test behind my back. He walked up and hugged me.

After a few moments I just couldn't stand it anymore! I asked him, "So, do you still want that baby?" (the day before we were cuddled up in bed talking excitedly about the possibility of having a child)

He looked at me suspiciously and asked, "Are you pregnant?"

I pulled the test out from behind my back and showed him with a large grin on my face.

Now you have to realize I had never before this point seen my husband cry, he's a man of steady emotions.

He bawled like a baby and embraced me so tightly it took my breathe away.

When I'm dead and looking back over my life, THAT is the moment I will pause with my remote because in that moment I was happier than I'd ever been.

That night he brought home roses, a card and a onesie...

And that's the story of how we knew our little fire-cracker of a daughter would change our lives forever!

With every birth our bond becomes deeper, I can;t even imagine what our relationship will be by baby #6! (or however many we have)

I love you Ryan!

{New Hair!}

Those of you not on FB here are pics of the 'do!

love it! Thanks Jenn!

{This & That...}

Hello World! A little view of what the Bergens have been up to!

Ryan took the kids for the afternoon one day so I could go do a craft with my mom, this is how the kids napped that day....Alenna in Brady's bed and Brady in ours!

THIS is what I was making....for Brady's room

The finished product...the lighting is weird, it looks better in person :)

I also made this for his room too, just some wall art...if you can call it art ;)

His name...all the paper is sports themed

His baby shoes on display....makes me sad he no longer fits these :(

In other news, today is the last day I will have long hair! As of tomorrow its getting chopped and highlighted. 

As the mom, living on a budget, I always have to go without..so I'm super excited!

dance is going well for lenny, she's the cutest one there ;)

bahaha, this kid makes me laugh....

we've had a break through with Brady! He actually went to nursery on Sunday and stayed the entire time by himself! Ryan and I teach, so having him go to his class is a HUGE relief!

Also his last night of swimming actually went well, he only cried for part of it.

Shaylin got a new car seat and I'm so in love with it. The other one was 4 years old, lasted us three kids...it had a good run.

I love the lime and brown (thats how I'm painting Brady's room when we buy another house next year)

I love how gender neutral it is, if our 4th is a boy he can use it too!

my emotions are really close to the surface lately, in 10 days Dusty comes home! I miss him so much and am so anxious to have him back!