did it work?

Laundry part II

here are pictures from the new laundry detergent we got "Rockin Green"

THE TEST

1st i soaked Jon's work shirts and pants in the bath tub (HOT water and detergent)

hot water with detergent no cloths yet

cloths soaked for 5 hours

the water after soaking all these cloths. ALL THESE CLOTHS WERE CLEAN TOO before i put them in the tub....isn't that gross!!!!!!! (these clean cloths before this detergent.....every time Jon sweet his cloths smelled gross, like it would reactivate all the stuff in his cloths that weren't getting clean!!!)

2nd test

load with only whites and khaki pant

not as dark but still gross (these were not the clothes that smelled but i just wanted to test)

Sam(my friend who told me about the detergent) did the same on Jess's football clothes and then on their cloth diapers she said the cloth diapers weren't as dirty so the water wasn't as dirty (cuz the cloth diapers were striped before she got them)

nesting???

so im not sure when nesting kicks in but i have gotten my energy back and im always a fan of organization :) well Jon has experienced many of my crazy cleaning and organization days but lately it's seems a little more then normal times :) I also have been a fan of list's.......so of course i had to make a list of the stuff i want done before the baby is born :) So i gave the list to my husband and lets just say i have an amazing man in my life to put up with my craziness!!!!

Jon informed me that the nursery will be done by our first baby shower (which is by the end of this month!!!) Its really hard for me cuz my personality is, when i have an idea im going to do it and im going to do it right now!!!! Well Jon informed me since our house was built in the 1800s the paint probably has lead in it so he doesn't want me to sand and he doesn't want me to paint (have i mentioned what an awesome husband i have) so hopefully life slows down so he can actually work on the room :)

so moral of the story the salon is clean and my house is cleaner and every were i look in my house im thinking of new ways to organize our stuff :)

birthday part II/ labor day fun

I really wanted to go to the drive-in Theater for my birthday.....and we all know in our group of friends birthdays really an excuse for us all to hang out :)

I was the perfect night to go (at first before it got down to 53 degrees) Jon grilled us hot dog's and brats and everyone brought fun treats to share!!!! Jon had his truck doors open so it was like surround sound as we all sat out side in our chairs with sweat shirts and blankets :) We saw a double feature "Despicable me" & "Toy story 3" i think all the boys were laughing so hard during the first movie :) toy story was a little sad but still good:) It was so fun.....I hope we can keep doing this with our family's as they keep growing (up to age 4 is free).

Dawn and me

what can i say, i married him :)

our baby bumps (how sad that our top half's touch before our bellies)

why are you taking me away from the food :)

kathleen made the cutest pop corn cup cakes!!!

Roman enjoying the food (i love this face :))

Labor day weekend

Jon and I were VERY BUSY!!!! I got to hang out with Dawn and shop for maternity dresses for a wedding for my cousin in Arizona.....by the way wearing the maternity pillow is kinda hard to see....I wasn't sure i want to be that big for Arizona (and wear a swim suit :))

Monday was the parade and we got to enjoy Roman loving every part of it......and Jon too! I not sure who enjoyed it more :) and of coarse the chicken dinner Dawn and i always go too.......AMAZING!!!!

then we went to a 90th birthday party for a lady who was Jon's neighbor who was like a grandma to them...... I had the pleasure of meeting an old man who i still don't know he asked me if i was Jons MOM!!!!!! Im not joking!!!!! I'm not sure if that is worse then the lady asking me if i was having twins!!!!!! SOME PEOPLE!!!

Then monday night jon and i went to the cloth diaper class....... very interesting...Im really glad we both went!!!! I was really cute...when we were all done i asked Jon what he liked and what he wanted to register for.....he said "oh i already know what i want!" It was pretty hilarious!!!!! It was really neat cuz the only things we disagreed on in the store was what color to do or patterns :) If you know anything about cloth diapers we are going to do pre fold with a cover from new born till 18LBS (which is the cheapest cloth diaper....but fits the best for newBorn's especially since we don't know how big or little our little man will be) and then 18LBS up to potty training we are going to do thirties pocket diaper (jon was set on this one because of the no leaking aspect :)) We had a fun time together and i feel like this is going to be a great team work thing not just me!!!! it was also amazing to see how much money we are going to save (she gave us a chart of disposable diapers and wipes expensive and cheapest and same with cloth diapers most expensive and cheapest) VERY EXCITING!!!

laundry

So Im not going to lie when i was first considering cloth diapering i was OVER WHELMED by the laundry aspect and the smell.......but I have amazing friends who are walking me through the process.....one of the things that i'm really excited about is this laundry detergent Rockin green......I first herd about it from my friend Sam....she's trying to get the cloth diaper store in DSM to carry it, besides using it on our cloth diapers....I'm excited to use it on Jon's GROSS WORK CLOSE and no matter what different detergent i use when ever he sweets (which is every day:)) his close bring out this weird gross smell!!!!!!! since he owns his own business that is really unprofessional to smell when talking to clients! Sam informed me that at first we are going to have to soak jon's close in the bathtub with hot water and the detergent over night or at least a couple of hours then wash with out detergent a couple of times until there are no more suds......this process is to get all the other build up from other detergents and his gross boy stuff out of there!!!!!

also on the cloth diaper web site i just read an article on this product and why other women choose this product and cloth diapering.....if you are even remotely interested in cloth diapering or like a lot of my friends slowly working into cloth diapering (like my friend sam is) check this article out

I have read numerous articles on how women have a couple kids and then decided to start cloth diapering cuz of the cost and the environment! Since i have been doing more research and talking to more people about this i have ran across some other things that i never thought of, Jon and i don't have trash pick up (we burn our trash....so those diapers really wouldn't burn as well as the rest of our trash). wipes i was going to make my own wipes like my friend Ruth Ann has shared but when i have talked to numerous cloth diaper friends they say you should consider cloth wipes too (i can also make those too) cuz really what are you going to do with the wipe thats disposable usually you put it in the diaper well not if im throwing the diaper in the laundry, also the smell i was really worried about but as i'm finding they have this amazing sacks that are ment to go directing in the laundry with your cloth diapers so you don't have to touch or open the smell :)

Ill stop know but long story short the more i find out how much money we are saving and how not scary it is......JOn and i are getting more excited about our new find!!!!!!

I'll keep you up dated on the detergent and let you know if Jon stops smelling :)

birthday

I had a great birthday!!!! Jon surprised me earlier in the week with my gift......he bought me.... a new laptop!!!!! (He told the computer guy that i needed a computer that i can multi task on.....that i can have 50 windows open at a time :)) he knows me to well!!!

On my actual birthday......it was Monday so it was my day off any ways......have i mentioned i have never had my birthday off at the salon:) I loved it!!!! Ruth Ann, Roman, and Judah came over and ate lunch with Jon and I and we went swimming in our pool.

(do you love that we r hiding behind the boys:)

..I wasn't sure how Roman was going to do since the last time he got in (besides being freezing then 65 degrees!!!!) he also was very scared and wouldn't let go of Ruth Ann's neck.........he was scared at first then he LOVED it!!!!! He even wanted to swim with me and not mom :) (that made my birthday even more special since he defiantly Love's his mom A LOT!!!) Then Ruth Ann made this incredible ice cream delight......with a ton of Carmel (talking about it makes me want a piece......yes it's 10:00AM but im pregnant.....i can use that as an excuse can't I?)........SO GOOD!!!!!

Then a nap after i folded laundry:) Those boys wore me out!!! Jon took me to a surprise dinner (I'm such a bad wife cuz i can't just let him surprise me.....i guessed my gift and dinner....i guess we know each other to well:)) He took me to The Water Front! SO GOOD!!!!! Then back home to watch Lost (season 6!!!)

Then of course it made me feel so blessed after receiving all the texting, phone calls and voice mails of friends and family singing happy birthday and all the facebook messages all day long!!!

THANK YOU FRIENDS! you guys mean the world to me!!!!!

Hopefully this weekend a group of us are going to the drive-in theater together!!!

What a great 29 birthday!!!!

cloth diapering

Today my friend Sam and I went to the cloth diaper store in Valley Junction called Little Padded Seats.....I learned so much and I think Jon and I might save even money then we thought we would.........so we decided that we are going to register there too and you can also go online to order......but i was really nervous because A LOT of people think I'm weird for wanting to do this and might not want to buy stuff off of our registry their ......but after i talked to Jon he made me feel better! This is Jon's comment "I feel like if we buy disposable diapers its like we are throwing our money in the trash..... literally...especially if we are going to keep having kids" So it makes me happy that he feels that way too!!! Another way we are hopefully going to save more then we thought is because Jon's mom saved their old cloth diapers (old school, with the safety pins :) and when i was at the cloth diaper store i asked her what she suggest that we use those for....if we could use them as an insert or what.......she then showed us that they have these clasp things that are safer then safety pins and the covers to go over them, they look exactly like the all in ones but just the cover (so cheaper) and another plus is, instead of throwing the whole thing in the washer you only throw the old school cloth diaper in and reuse the cover until its dirty......so you actually don't need as many covers as you need the cloth part (also cheaper) and she also said that this diaper system works better for new baby's cuz it will fit them better because you fold the cloth part under the cover to fit what ever size!!!!!!!

Jon and I are going to go to one of their classes the beginning of September and Jon and I will decide and we will register that night :)

I told Jon that if i was going to work as much as I'm working now i would not do cloth diapering but since i'm going to be working part time i feel like this can be away to save money:)

It's a BOY!!!!

It's our baby...its so amazing seeing it on the screen and moving!!!!

Jon and I had the ultra sound today (while i did:)) It's really funny how girls process things way differently then boys :) It was very emotional......i was going to cry like 5 million times but didn't cuz i was trying to process that it was a boyand that this was for real!!!!!

So when Jon and i were sitting waiting for the Dr......I said " Titus James Weber"......JOn said "um I'm not sold on that yet"...........He really like Ezra James Weber.....I like it too but one of Jon's workers is named that.....even though Jon did have a good point that the guy that works for him isn't going to be around forever and that he is a senior at ISU and what he wants to be isn't a contractor.......but i'm still not sure........

So from the ultra sound i'm actually earlier then they thought.....the ultra sound said i'm due Jan, 13 but since from the original due date Jan. 23 isn't 12 days different they wont change the due date.......sad day.......so technically im more like 20 weeks :)

Believe and Be Satisfied

I received this letter when i went to a Christian camp in Junior high..its a love letter from God to single's....its very interesting when i would find this letter through out the years....When i first read it i defiantly had different thoughts like more a dream come true....then reading it at the end of high school to college i found myself instead of dreaming, i really wanted to be loved.......then as all my friends were getting married i found myself, having this pain in my heart for something more......then as i hit 25 it was even more of a pain, it was hard to read and not wanting to wait any more, i didn't want to trust, i didn't want to keep going with out someone by my side!!!! Now when i read it, its very interesting that i see new words.....and i really understand it a little better..... i use to feel like why doesn't God feel i'm ready, i have given my life to God, I give myself to the church and friends and familys, but what i should have thought about instead of what is wrong with me ....i should have remembered that their is 3 in a marriage (wife, God, husband) and if i felt close to God.....what was my husband doing? I never thought may be my husband wasn't ready yet........for me it was true...... I'm glad i didn't meet my husband 10years ago when i thought i wanted a husband! We wouldn't be the same person if we met along time ago.......This letter does bring back A LOT of feelings i had when i was struggling but also gives me peace knowing that all my loved ones that are feeling this pain, it makes me know that everything will work out perfectly! I wish i would have believed and was satisfied but to be honest I could and other days i couldn't.......It was a long drawn out, painful, tearful nights but i can actually say it made me a more compassionate person!

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone -- to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God, to a Christian says, "No, not until you are satisfied and fulfilled and content with living loved by Me alone. I love you, my child, and until you discover that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found, you will not be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You will never be united with another until you are united with Me -- exclusive of anyone or anything else, exclusive of any other desires or longings. I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing -- one that you can't imagine. I want you to have the best. Please allow Me to bring it to you. Just keep experiencing that satisfaction knowing that I am. Keep learning and listening to the things I tell you... You must wait.

Don't be anxious. Don't worry. Don't look around at the things others have gotten or that I've given to them. Don't look at the things you think you want. You just keep looking off and away up to Me, or you'll miss what I want to show you.

And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than any would ever dream. You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready, I am working even this very minute to have both of you ready at the same time. Until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and with the life I have prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me...and this is perfect love.

And dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love, I want you to see in flesh a picture of your relationship with Me, and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty and perfection and love that I offer you with Myself. Know that I love you utterly, I am God Almighty. Believe and be satisfied."

i need to work on and thanksgiving prayers

Jon and I had taken a class at our church (i encourage every married couple to do some sort of class together to help renew and refresh your marriage& faith!) We got A LOT out of our class! On the last day we discussed that how if you say something negative you need to say 5 positive!

So Jon and i decided that we wanted to do something right before we go to bed that could share our day and help us grow in our faith. So we decided that we would share 2 things we need to work on and 2 things we are thankful for.......At first like everything we do with our Christian faith we did well and positive and helped us discuss somethings we were fighting about that day.....but then when we were fighting for real and when you don't feel like praying; it really forced US (i mean ME) to share feelings i never thought would be hard to share (like when I'm wrong, or make myself very vulnerable.......all of these things that were hard to share; Jon already new was hard for me)

Its very interesting how much we have grown and how to communicate better especially when we are fighting! :)

Jon does a really good job of turning all our work on and thanksgiving things into our prayer!

Our good friend Adam& Kim got married this weekend and its really funny how God is slowly preparing us for a baby.....We got a chance to watch Eliza Babbitt (4 months old) while her mom and dad were taking wedding party pictures. I had to get ready for the wedding since i was doing hair all morning.....Jon was a great baby sitter....HE'S GOING TO BE A GREAT DAD!

Staycation (vacation)

I took off work Friday and Saturday

You herd me i took the weekend off and there was no weddings involved!!! i got to do all the fun stuff i have never done!

Garage sales.........Chelle and i went garage saling.....I got a ton of baby stuff for really cheap......one of the things i was really proud of is a little wooden table and 4 chairs (so cute!!) I even came home with money :) Jon was proud of my finds and the money left!

Farmers market......all i have to say is Bubble tea, dutch letters (from Pella, the only & best dutch letters), Indian food and my husband taking the day off to go with me!!!

Pool......I love it, its so peaceful at our house i kinda fell asleep floating on a raft...which= SUN BURN!!!!! which makes it worse i wore a honeymoon swim suit cuz it was just me and Jon = SUN BURN in places i don't like :(

Shopping....Jon surprised me and took me to Baby's R us.....we walked around and discussed what we want to put in our baby registry (Jon is to cute he went to every crib, stroller, high chair and shook them to see if they were sturdy enough for him) :) There was a lot we agreed on and a few things that we didn't.....but i figured i have a few months to persuade him :)

Have i mentioned that i love pella's dutch letters ( i got a dozen.......not many left) :) I enjoy them way to much!!!!!

new things

Remember when Jon and I ripped up our yard and sidewalk(these next 5 pictures are before shots after we tore stuff up)

After Shots

next we need to work on getting a sidewalk :)

Jon, my dad, and my cousin kyle worked all day Saturday to get it done!!! They did a great job and worked very hard! Thanks guys, it looks so beautiful!!!!!! now i need to work on the garden part around it :) its kinda hard when i don't know what's flowers and whats weeds :) i need to work on that!!!!

Baby's room,

also that morning before the guys worked outside they worked on the baby's room.....What an awesome husband, he surprised me with it.....even though there is a lot more to do on the room but at least it's a start :)

Belly pictures (i can't remember the exact weeks but you get the point)

6-9?weeks

12weeks

15weeksbesides my belly getting bigger my boob's went up 3 sizes!!!! let's just say i didn't realize they make this size :)

* I'm very blessed because Jon and my mom bought me maternity clothes.....besides the pants it was the tops that wouldn't fit :( but now i have cute clothes until winter :)

Savings! savings! savings!!

This next blog proves that We are grown ups :)

We were at Home Depot (imagine that!) and we were very lucky to find this amazing sale on windows........we got 6 storm windows (for different places in our house), 2 huge double hung windows (for my salon), a really nice front door with a side light (for my salon or our front door?).......we spent $300!!!!! It would have cost us $2,000!!!!!! That's an amazing savings if you don't mind me saying :) The cool thing is they were only suppose to be 75% off but Jon used his amazing talking skills and talked them down A LOT more then 75% off!!!!!

cloth diapers

So Jon and i are debating if we should use cloth diapers or not......we have a lot of friends who use cloth and disposable diapers.....yesterday i was doing the math if we we're to use disposable from age 1 month to 6 months $540 and 6-12 months $360 that is $900 a year and that is not taxed its just ruff estimate! So even if i got the not as expensive cloth diapers i would save $400!!!!! I did go to one of the web sites and they did the math and theirs is a little more accurate and they did it for 2 children and even buying some new with the new child you would save $840 (when i did the price difference it won me over but when i saw their price difference it REALLY WON me over!!!!)
It will also depend on who watches our child, babysitter, parents, friends...(we will probably still use disposable for travel and when others watch our child)....In the end i think we are going to do it.....I have to wash Jon's clothes almost every other day any ways and after i have the baby i am going to go part time....so hopefully it will work for us!!
Jon also made a very good point that we can also ask for some for baby shower gifts especially since there is a shop at Valley Junction now! I'm going to try and go to one of their classes :) hopefully i can learn a lot from it :)
I think the one problem that i will have is that i like to be prepared.....i like to have things right away.....i have herd that you have to wait to buy a lot till you try them......so hopefully the class will let me test some out!!!

So of my friends have made their own wipes and made their own disposable wipes....i think i might also consider doing that too....Ruth Ann said that she spends about $1 compared to $5 a box of wipes.....I know that's not a lot but when you add it up it does add up :)

check this website out this website this is were i got some info from

Are there any other great ways to save money with kids or stores out there to shop for children's supply?

vaccines

Vaccines...........I want to know how you decided to have vaccines for your children or not?

I read this book by Jenny McCarthy about her finding out her son has autism..........Now before you judge me for reading this.....I do want to say that never once does she say i hate all vaccines and Doctors......I was very impressed at the patience she had with her child and all the doctors that wouldn't listen to her as a mother!!!

Some background on me.....I'm very sensitive to many things.....I'm allergic to quite a few things and some that i can't pin point what it is but the doctor doesn't think i am......so my brain is going to, if my mom is also sensitive to things and allergic to some stuff why wouldn't my child?!?!?!

The whole point of the book was that she found out later that her son did not have a good immune system (when they did test his immune system they said that it was like an AIDS patient that was not going to live long) so when you take a sick immune system and then put vaccines in his body....his body didn't know what to do with it......(if you want specifics read the book...the only part i didn't like was her swearing)

She wrote in her book about a book called "what doctors are not telling you about vaccines" I haven't read i......t but it had a delayed schedule for vaccines......Jenny wrote that she would suggest waiting until your children are at least 18 months to see if their little immune system can handle the vaccines!

I still don't know what I'm going to do yet....but it just seems odd to me that in the first visit with your new born they get 3-4 shots and a drink and that is more then one vaccine in each shot.......I don't know if my body can handle that as an adult! I don't know what to do cuz i want my kids to be able to go to school and when older if they want to go out of the country!

Why did you choose what you chose? Did you do research on any of the vaccines? Did you delay any of the vaccines? Is there a time limit on when they have to get the shots? can they be to old? try not to over whelm me with to many medical terms please :)

salon / matt and Amanda's wedding

Jon's high school friend and roommates got married Matt and Amanda

amanda & Jon...

Bryan, caden, jon, one of the groomsmen.the wedding was at a Beautiful vineyard......the inside was beautiful......so beautiful i actually might be stealing the design for my home salon that Jon will be building for me (in like 3 years!!!) But that hasn't stopped me from planning and figuring out what i want:)

They were getting rid of the center pieces.....um.....LOVE THEM!!!! this is what i want to base the salon off of!!! rustic modern look!!!!

july 4

July 4.....Jon and I's ONE YEAR anniversary!!!!! Crazy!!!!

WE were very busy on our anniversary.....we welcomed baby Eliza Babbitt into our church...it was a beautiful baptism!!!!

Also we had the big party at my parents house even though it rained......lots of food, friends, and fireworks!!!

So your probably wondering what Jon got me for our one year anniversary....well he suprized me with a pool!!!!! I'll take a pool over jewelery any day :)

It's not a huge pool buy any means....it is 48inch tall, 18feet across it holds 6400 gallons of well water....the only down fall to using our well water....we had to already get a new filter and clean out the pump once to get all the impuritys out! we have a salt water system not chlorine.....(your tears are .9% salt and this water is .3% salt...so less then the salt in your tears!!!) so once all the well water is clean we are good to go!!!!!) So this water is like swimming in clean water...it's not bad on your hair or skin :)

jon had to use his skid loader to make the area flat for the pool!!

Brian & Jon playing in the pool :) like big kids