My Sign . . . .

Here's My Sign:
Yes, I have 4 children under the age of 7 and one on the way.
No, I am not insane (not yet anyway).
No, it is not actually a crime to have this many children. I'm not depleting natural resources, I'm improving the gene pool.
Yes, I do have my hands full (a fact of which I'm already aware and do NOT need you to point out)
NO!! I do not want to discuss it or any other personal details of my life with you (RANDOM STRANGER I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE).

I'm thinking of having this made into a button . . . well, it's probably too long for a button, maybe I could wear a sign around my neck, or print it on some ginormous maternity t-shirts in different colors for each day of the week, or maybe I'll just save myself some time and have it tatooed on my forehead!

I am so incredibly sick and tired of having random strangers come up to me on the street/sidewalk/store aisle/gym/library and make random comments or ask incredibly prying and personal questions about my life. Just because I have 4 children and one on the way, people feel like they have a right to all the intimate details of my life. I'M SICK OF IT. And I've decided that the only way to stop the madness is to broadcast the information to the world in a way that discourages their interest and comments.

Well, I feel better after having gotten that off my chest. I am still thinking about having that sign made, but I'm pretty sure I'd never have the nerve to wear it out of the house! I know people are just curious, and in California a person with 4 (almost 5 children) is a bit of an anomaly, and (in all honesty) we are a little bit of a freak show when I've got all four kids with me. But really people can be so judgemental, and some of the things they say are pretty harsh and unpleasant. Thank heavens my munchkins are so sweet and (mostly) well behaved . . . I shudder to think what they'd be saying if my kids were running wild! :-)

Part of my frustration is probably coming from my own trepidation at having 5 kids too. When people come up to me and look so concerned and wonder "how are you going to manage with 5" or, "what are you going to do when you have two that aren't walking yet." I guess it's just a very unpleasant reminder that I'm not AT ALL sure how I'm going to manage with five children, and I honestly have no idea how to transport 2 children who are both non-ambulatory. The first few months with the new baby are looking very daunting to me and it's not really very nice of all these people to keep pointing out how hard it's going to be. I keep wishing someone would walk up to me on the street and say what a good job I'm doing with my sweet children or how very capable and mature I seem or SOMETHING that doesn't make me think I must look (and therefore be) totally incompetent!

Aaaannnnnyyyywwwwayyy . . . this baby is coming (ready or not). And it doesn't look like Jeffrey will be moving before the new little man arrives. We talked about asking to have Jeffrey moved to a different foster home just because it will be very hard to have him and a brand new baby, but he loves us and we love him, and he's settled here in our home, and he needs us. So, we have elected to just work it out. It's the best thing for Jeffrey . . . and I keep reminding myself that my mom had five kids aged 5 and under at the same time (and luckily she didn't try and get rid of any of us) and look how great we turned out . . . and she is still very sane and normal! So, I know it's doable and surviveable. And we are just going to do and survive! And I'm sure that it will all work out for the best.

Now, if only I could get these random strangers to mind their own business . . . hmmmm, maybe that sign is a good idea after all!!

31 Weeks Along

I am solidly in my 3rd trimester, and getting more enormous by the day. I can't believe how big I am already and I still have 2+ months to go. Anyway, here is a picture to document the enormity of the situation!! This is me a few days ago at 31 weeks along.

Also, once again it's been weeks since I posted anything and (once again) I have tons to post, so be sure to scroll down to see all the pictures of Christmas!

Vinyl Lettering

So, up until this Christmas I haven't had a single piece of vinyl lettering in my house. I've been wanting some, but just hadn't gotten around to it etc. So, this Christmas Jerry got me 3 different sets of lettering to put on the walls, and I got two other things as well!! It was the Christmas for home decor for me, I also got the cutest hanging picture frame with "live love laugh" on it and a large decorative vase from my mom too!!

Here is my new family grouping picture arrangement, I couldn't seem to get the pics to turn out, but the vinyl lettering says "Coleman Family established 2002"

Here is the wide shot of the whole set up. The family pic is in the middle and the individuals of the kids are on the sides with a picture of Christ underneath

Family-- We may not have it all together, but together we have it all

A welcome sign from my friend Brook that I hung in the entryway!

A picture display from Boyd and Becky Ann . . . it says "these are a few of my favorite things." The pictures are held on with magnets -- SO CUTE! (terrible picture doesn't do it justice)

Love is spoken here -- underneath the proclamation to the family and The Living Christ

I've had so much fun putting up all the vinyl and rearranging the house!! We even painted our living room, entry way and hallway (finally, we've been wanting to since we moved in 3 years ago). We kept it the same color, but it all looks so much brighter and cleaner with a new coat of paint! Anyway, a busy, fun week at our house . . . and everything looks so much nicer!!

Christmas Morning!

We had a wonderful Christmas! We just stayed home and spent time together and played and played and played and ate and ate and ate!! So fun and relaxing!

On Christmas Eve we ate our big ham dinner for lunch and then went out to Whiskeytown Lake for dinner and lit a campfire and ate hot dogs and roasted marshmellows and told the story of the birth of Jesus around a campfire. It was really a nice experience, although next time we will pack a little better for it! (maybe a Christmas tradition in the making???) So, here are some pictures of Christmas and all the wonderful presents everyone got!!

Emma showing everyone that Santa and the reindeer at almost all of the cookies and carrots we left out!

Jeffrey checking out the loot in his stocking (and everyone else's stockings too!) Don't worry, the dots weren't actually for him, and he didn't get to eat them.

Jerry and the kids digging into their stockings

Lindsay and the snow globe she got from Santa

Nathan playing in the trasformers tent he got from Uncle Russ and Aunt Kristi

Nathan trying out his new baseball and bat!Emma painting the horses she got from Nana and Papa

Nathan opening his bike from Mom and Dad

Lindsay coloring on her glow page from Aunt Amanda and Uncle Scott

Emma modeling her new make-up and jewelry from Santa

Jeffrey opening the last of his presents (he had to take a nap half-way through, so he got to finish up after everyone else was already finished).

Nathan riding his new bike wearing his new "hat"

Mom helping Nate out with his new bike . . . it's still a little hard for him, but he's getting the hang of it fast!

Lindsay trying out her new Razor

Emma riding her bike and taking pictures of EVERYTHING with her new digital camera

The kids with Santa! This wasn't Christmas morning . . . it was from our ward Christmas Party!

Christmas Clothes!!

One thing I love about Christmas is that it is so easy to find cute, affordable dresses and suits! I always try to buy one dress/suit for each kid and then they can wear it all year round! So, here are this years' Christmas outfits!

Lindsay in her blue and brown Christmas Dress!! She loved that it was so sparkly (it left glitter all over EVERYTHING though!)

Here's Emma in her new dress. . . it was pink and sparkly what more can you ask for in life?! (It didn't leave sparkles everywhere thank heavens!) Both girls had so much fun in their "tea length gowns . . . very grown up and twirly!!

Nathan in his new suit! (Doesn't he look handsome?)

Jeffrey in his first suit! (He actually didn't love it, but was a pretty good sport about wearing it!)

All this kids in front of the Christmas Tree!

The whole Family dressed up for church on the Sunday before Christmas!